To Be the Greatest
by astrosono
Summary: Twins Terran and Taylor Murdock, scion of one of the most famous couples in the Pokemon world, are starting their own journeys through Kanto.  They'll experience adventure, rivalries, and maybe even romance.  MxM and FxM pairings, just as a warning
1. A New Journey

Kanto… Maybe not as beautiful as Johto, or as diverse as Sinnoh, or as exotic as Hoenn, or―I'm getting off track. Kanto, however you want to classify it, is my home. Some might call it "boring," but to me, it's the perfect place to be. Team Rocket has long since stopped activity here, it bred Red of Pallet Town, one of the greatest Pokemon masters alive, and we have one of the oldest and most admired Pokemon Leagues in the world: the Indigo League.

Of course, a lot has changed since Red first wandered the region. First, the minimum age requirement for becoming a Trainer or Coordinator was increased from ten to sixteen. Whoever thought ten-year-olds could handle themselves out here obviously had never met one.

Second, the Companion Law was instated throughout all regions. The Companion Law stated that any beginning Pokemon Trainer or Coordinator must be accompanied by at least one other person who is of age. Again, whatever possessed people to think that it's fine to throw ten-year-olds out by themselves to deal with wild Pokemon is beyond me.

The last of these big three changes was the requirement of all hopeful Trainers and Coordinators to have graduated from an accredited Trainer School. It seems like a no-brainer that kids should at least know _something_ about Pokemon before starting their journeys, but I digress. How people of that generation survived long enough to produce this one is beyond me.

My name is Terran Murdock, and this is the story of my Pokemon Journey through Kanto.

I'm from Vermillion City and have lived her my whole life. I've always loved the beach and being in the water, so I have almost no complaints. Sure, it smells like dead Magikarp, and yeah the tubers are insanely annoying, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's home.

Just a few months prior, I turned sixteen, as did my twin sister Taylor. By default, our parents decided we'd be each other's companions, and though she probably wouldn't have been my first choice, I think we'd manage. A couple weeks before, we also both graduated from Vermillion Training Academy. After ten years of being cooped up in VTA, I could finally begin my Pokemon Journey!

What I loved about Vermillion's school over the others is the hands-on experience. While most schools tell you what to do, then let you do it under close supervision, VTA let's you figure out what's best on your own, then tells you what you did wrong. I remember one time I was given a Venomoth for a practice battle that only knew Sleep Powder. To make a long story short, nap time was extended for everyone that day.

I woke up that morning with a smile, which is a rare occasion for me. Sunlight was just beginning to stream in through my window. I eagerly jumped out of bed, even though I only got a couple hours of sleep last night. I couldn't tell you how excited I was for this! I hurriedly went to the bathroom to shower and brush my teeth. Back in my room, I got dressed and grabbed the bag I had packed last night. Double checking that I had everything I needed, I trotted down the stairs and was greeted by the aromatic smell of bacon, Arceus's gift to food.

"Somebody's up early," my mom said with a cheeky grin as she plopped some bacon and eggs on a plate. For her age, Mom was a beautiful woman. Her long honey blonde hair was tied back into a neat bun, her nimble fingers maneuvered swiftly over the stove as her soft gray eyes warmed the whole room.

"The early Pidgey catches the Caterpie," I answered with a shrug.

"Jeez, first day of being a Pokemon Trainer and already you're talking like Dad," my nineteen-year-old brother, Seth, quipped from behind a newspaper. While Taylor and I took after our mother, Seth was a spitting image of our Dad. They had the same tousled jet-black hair, piercing amber eyes, pronounced features, and olive skin tone.

I smirked. "I might as well be in the Champion mode from the beginning." I grabbed a full plate and thanked Mom. "Why are _you_ up so early?" I asked of Seth.

His face fell and became sullen. "Lt. Surge called me at four in the morning to make sure the Gym was presentable for the new Trainers. I just never went back to sleep."

"It's so nice of you to be with Lt. Surge during this." Mom rubbed Seth's shoulders comfortingly. Lt. Surge was the Gym Leader here in Vermillion, but lately his body has been failing him. He was only in his mid-forties, but he's been in and out of the hospital numerous times over the past few years, with a dramatic increase recently. As much as I―or anyone else in Vermillion, for that matter―hate to say, he was probably on his last few breaths as we spoke.

Seth was taking it the hardest of anyone. While he was still at VTA, Lt. Surge was invited as a guest speaker. Seeing Seth's natural ease and grace with Pokemon, especially the Electric-type, he recruited Seth right out of school to start training at Vermillion Gym. After only a year of training with Lt. Surge, Seth solidified his position as the heir to the Vermillion Gym. Even though he would be the next Vermillion Gym Leader, it was a bittersweet ending for Seth.

Seth wasn't the only success story in my family, though. My older sister Blaire, who was twenty-two, was the winner of the Hoenn Grand Festival in Slateport City, and just recently won the Sinnoh Grand Festival in Hearthome City. Now she works as an aide for Professor Oak who has her traveling the world, researching Pokemon behavior and mentoring aspiring young Coordinators, her younger sister, my twin, included.

Several years ago, my parents weren't exactly unheard of, either. Many consider them the original "Power Couple of Pokemon," which is a title Mom refuses, but Dad embraces and encourages. They both met while at the Indigo Plateau. Both had made it to the semifinal round, but Dad wiped the floor with Mom, leaving her to finish third place and him to go on to become the Champion. Not one to take defeat, Mom then went on to Johto, where she was able to fight all the way to become the Champion of the Johto League.

Fast-forward a couple years to a Lilycove City Pokemon Contest where two guest judges were brought in, both previous Pokemon League Champions. One thing led to another, and soon enough, they were married, and nine months after that, they had a baby girl whom they named Blaire. And the rest is history.

Obviously Taylor and I had a lot to live up to, but I didn't have any doubt that we wouldn't disappoint. To any other kids, it might seem really intimidating to have all that success to match, but to us― or to me, at least―it was nothing to stress over. Our parents would proud of us, regardless.

Seth shrugged. "It's the least I could do after all he's done for me. I just wish I knew why his heart was so bad."

"The doctors don't know?" I asked between mouthfuls.

He shook his head. "Nope. All they know is that it must have been a chronic thing, not something that just popped up."

"That sucks, man. I'm sorry," I said, trying to be as heartfelt as I could.

"No, it's fine. When it's your time, it's your time."

"Whose time is it?" a sleepy voice asked, muffled by a yawn. I turned to see a female version of myself. Same dirty blonde hair, same relaxed, ocean blue eyes, same tanned skin, and same facial features, courtesy of Mom. You would have to be blind to not to tell Taylor and I were twins. Although at that moment, I could forgive you. Her hair was matted and clung to her face, pointing every direction except where it should. Her eyelids drooped heavily and her pajamas hung off her body like a bed sheet.

"It's almost seven-thirty," Mom said, ignoring the question. "You better hurry. The SS Anne leaves in forty-five minutes."

Taylor's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. Without another word, she dashed back upstairs to get ready for the adventure ahead. I stifled a giggle at her unpreparedness and my being prepared. It was total role reversal, that's for sure. Seth shook his head and went back to his newspaper.

"Hello, family!" a cheery voice sounded from the foyer.

"Hi, honey. Breakfast is on the table." Mom was about to greet him with a peck on the cheek, but stopped in mid-motion. Large dimples appeared at the corners of his mouth as a result of his mischievous grin. His eyes glittered like a kid in a candy store. He was hiding something, and Mom could tell.

"Greg, what did you do?" Hands on her hips, Mom tapped her foot, awaiting an answer.

"Why would you think I've done anything?" he replied snidely.

"Let's see. You didn't tell me where you were going this morning, you look like someone who knows the winning Lotto numbers, and you haven't shown us what's behind your back yet."

I had to give props to Mom. The Spanish Inquisition doesn't have anything on her! I wouldn't have noticed the two small packages behind his back had she not said anything.

"Okay, I give up," Dad conceded. "But I think you'll like these." He winked at me. Again, nothing could get past Mom.

"Whatever you got our kids better be worth hiding."

"Oh, trust me. They'll love it!" Dad paused and looked around the kitchen. "Where's Taylor?"

"She's still getting ready."

"Well, she'd better hurry up, we have to be at the docks soon―."

"Don't worry, I'm here!" Taylor announced as she bounded into the kitchen, looking much more presentable and attractive than she did before. Unlike most girls, Taylor could get her entire appearance squared away perfectly in ten minutes flat. What she could do in those ten minutes took others, even Blaire and Mom, almost a full hour.

"Glad you decided to show up," I chided.

"Bite me."

"Is that an invitation?"

"Stop it, you two," Mom interjected. She glanced at Dad.

"Since you two are starting your journeys today…" he started. He plopped two small boxes in front of Taylor and I. Immediately we started tearing into them. "I figured you two might as well start off in style!" he finished.

After ripping away all the packaging material, my jaw hit my chest. There was a bright, brand new Poketch 3.0 staring back at me. "Oh my Arceus! Thank you so much, Dad!" I was ecstatic, to say the absolute least! These _just _came out and could do all a PokeDex, cell phone, and a PDA could, and more!

"Seriously! This is the best! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Taylor squealed.

"Greg…how did you afford these?" Mom asked through clenched teeth and a death glare.

"Well, Kris, the nice people at the PokeMart were giving away ten free for promotion's sake, and I was lucky enough to get two." The sauciness in his voice was unmistakable.

While they were talking, I was browsing through the plethora of apps the Poketch 3.0 had. Pokemon encyclopedia, calculator, Internet, Kanto map… It had everything! This was definitely the best gift I had gotten in a long time! Taylor was feeling the same way, already messaging brags to all of her friends through the device.

I heard Mom sigh, probably as a sign of her admitting defeat. "All right, but we better be very nice to the owners from now on."

"Aren't we always?" I asked, still fiddling with the device.

"There's the time you, Dad, and Blaire let a Tauros 'accidentally' into the store…" Seth mumbled.

"You did _what_?" Mom screeched.

"Oh, look at the time! We better get going!" Nice save, Dad. I took a few last bites, grabbed my bag, and we all headed for the docks.

* * *

**It's been a while since I've written, like, _anything_ on FanFiction, so hopefully this story will get back in my groove. :) I've been writing this for a long time, and I have sixty-seven pages in a word document already written, so now it's just a matter of editing and posting it. Hopefully you'll like this, and you'll always read and review! :D**


	2. First Meetings

The smell of salt water permeated the brisk morning air. The sounds of people going about their daily routines filled my ears. Wingull squawked and Pidgey chirped. The docks were full of more people than usual, as this would be the last time the SS Anne would go to Pallet Town for a while. New trainers abounded, surrounded by their family and friends, all coming to see them off. A long line had formed leading onto the gleaming white ship.

"Everyone and their grandma is out here today," I observed.

"It's a big day. Especially for you two." Seth jumped out of the way of a couple kids running around in the sand. "Gah! Unfortunately, you have to share the day." He glared at the tubers as they disappeared back into the crowd. Nobody likes tubers.

"Whatever. I'm just happy we finally get to leave!" As an afterthought, Taylor added, "Even if it is with Terran."

"I love you, too," I replied acidly.

"Try not to love each other this much while you're traveling," Dad warned.

"Not a problem."

"Consider it done." Typical sibling banter. Nothing malicious.

"Family!" a loud and obnoxious called out. Lucky for us, the Murdocks were the family in question.

"Hi, Blaire," Mom said as a tall, raven-haired girl attacked her with hugs. "How was Sinnoh?" she asked once her lungs worked again.

"It was great, Mom!" she answered, giving a bear hug to everyone.

"Great to see you, Blaire," I choked out between staggered breaths.

"I've missed you all so much!" she squealed. She turned to Seth. "Especially you, my little Gym-Leader-to-be!"

"Whoa, slow down, killer! Not yet."

"Well, you might as well be! You could take down anyone in Vermillion!" Seth, trying to be modest, shrugged. "And look at you two! About to take on the world!" She gave both Taylor and I another big, back-breaking hug. "I'm so proud of my little bubba and sissy!"

"Maybe you would be more proud if we could breathe," Taylor suggested.

"Oh, yeah, sorry." She took a meek step back. "So how have you guys been?"

"We've been great, thanks," Dad answered. "We've been missing you while you're out being a bigwig Pokemon researcher."

"Yeah, how is that going?" Mom asked. "We haven't heard from your or Professor Oak since he sent you to Sinnoh."

"Well." Blaire paused. Whenever Blaire paused like this, you knew her mature, scientific side was coming out. Most people wouldn't think she had one. Then again, the people at the lab probably don't know her spastic side, either. "I did a lot of observations on Dark- and Ice-type Pokemon, and I found that they exhibit the most near-human emotions of any other species, so I'm trying to convince Professor Rowan to make Sneasel a Starter Pokemon for Sinnoh because it's a prime candidate for…"

"That's great, honey," Mom interrupted, not wanting to get an entire seminar from her oldest daughter. "Thank you so much for taking your brother and sister to Pallet, though."

"No problem, Mom. It's my pleasure."

"Oh, speaking of problems, you better hurry up and get in line!" Dad looked at his watch. "Boarding ends in ten minutes!"

I checked my Poketch. "He's right, we have to go." I quickly said heartfelt goodbyes to Mom, Dad, and Seth, then quickly jumped into the line with Taylor and Blaire. I heard Mom choke back a couple sobs. _Well, this is it,_ I thought, _no turning back now!_

The line moved quickly, which was a good thing because otherwise we would've been left behind. "Tickets please?" a large, burly man in a sailor suit asked.

"Here you go!" Blaire gave him the three pieces of paper. He looked them over for a second and gave us the stubs and the key to our cabin. "Thank you," she said happily. The man only grunted in return. She led us below deck into a maze of hallways, all lined with doors leading into the passengers' cabins.

"Hmm…we're in room 705, and that one is room 218…" Blaire was never good with figuring stuff like this out. It took her a good hour to find one movie in a store where everything was alphabetized. "Maybe we should go this way." Suddenly, one of the Pokeballs on her belt started vibrating. A bright beam of scarlet light shot out to the ground. The light quickly materialized into a Skitty.

"You brought Clara?" Taylor asked, bending down to pet the hyperactive Pokemon.

"Of course! She's my best friend! Aren't you, Clara? Yes you are!" The Skitty meowed happily, loving the attention and affection she was getting.

"You would think she would know how to stay inside her ball by now," I stated.

"She just doesn't like being all cramped up in there, right Clara? No, you don't!"

"I'll take the baby talk as my cue to leave…" I turned on my heel to go back up to the deck.

"Hey, we haven't found the room yet," Blaire called.

I waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about me. I can remember 705. I'm just worried about you guys."

"Fine, just be in the room before the ship starts sailing. You know how seasick you get." Oh, Blaire, if only your maternal instincts were in use all the time. Then maybe that Tauros wouldn't have been so mad in the first place.

"Don't worry," I repeated. "I'll be fine."

* * *

I walked up and through a couple staircases and hallways until I came to the top deck. I was greeted by a mass of people crowded around something. Curious, I made my way through the crowd and saw there was a battle going on. _Awesome! Just what I need to get in the mood!_

On one side was the sailor who was taking tickets going against a young girl, probably no older than me. She had shoulder length, chocolate brown hair, perfectly matching her eyes, but contrasting vibrantly with her fair skin. Both had a deep look of determination, neither wanting to lose. The sailor had sent his Krabby out, while the girl had her Growlithe ready to fight. It was a horrible matchup for the girl, but she must have had _some_ kind of strategy to put a Fire-type against a Water-type.

"Krabby, use Bubble Beam!" the sailor commanded. Krabby complied, opening its claws as harsh streams of bubbles spewed out.

"That all you got?" the girl taunted. "Growlithe, jump to dodge, then use Fury Swipes!"

With a howl, Growlithe jumped high in the air, barely avoiding the attack. With its claws bared, it dove down on the Krabby, furiously scratching at it's hard shell with fervor. The Krabby cried in pain, making the sailor sweat a little.

"Come on, Krabby! Use Harden!" A silvery light engulfed Krabby as it's body became harder, forcing the Growlithe to jump off.

"Nice move," the girl complimented.

"Thank you," the man responded.

"But not good enough! Growlithe, Solar Beam!" Sunlight began collecting in Growlithe's open mouth, building up to a powerful amount of energy.

"Quick, Krabby, get out of the way!" Unfortunately, Krabby wasn't fast enough to avoid the powerful blast of concentrated white energy coming at it. After a powerful impact, the smoke cleared to reveal a fainted Krabby. The crowd, myself included, cheered for the girl.

"You did good, Krabby," the sailor said as he recalled his Pokemon.

"Great job, Growlithe!" the girl praised. The Growlithe barked in response before disappearing back into its ball. People began to disperse now that the battle was over. I stayed behind to congratulate the girl on her victory.

I tapped her on the shoulder from behind. "Hey, that was a great battle." She jumped and spun around, faster than lightning. "Whoa, I'm sorry, didn't mean to scare you," I apologized quickly.

Seeing it was only me, she relaxed and smiled nervously. "No, I'm sorry. I get kinda jumpy after a battle. My nerves are still on edge. Adrenaline's flowing, all that good stuff."

"I can tell," I joked. "Anyway, you did really good against that guy."

"Thanks! I didn't think that guy looked too tough, anyway." A little more than a trace of arrogance was in her voice. "I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Julie."

"Nice to meet you, Julie. I'm Terran. You're not from Vermillion, are you? I haven't seen you around."

She shook her head. "Nope, I'm from Cerulean City. My mom's the Gym Leader there."

At that, I got interested. "No way? Your mom's Misty?"

"Yep!" she confirmed. "Most people find it intimidating, so I don't tell them until _after_ I've beaten them."

Conceitedness aside, Julie seemed like a cool girl, and I had to empathize with her. "I know exactly how you feel," I said off-handedly, instantly regretting it.

"How? Is your family famous?"

The question took me off guard. I didn't want _everyone_ to know I was bred of the elite. "Well, no, not really. I just said that because…because…"

"Because you don't want anybody to know you're a Murdock?" Her face twisted into a knowing and devilish grin.

"How did you―?"

"Mist―I mean, my mom―told me all about you. Your parents are Pokemon League Champions, your sister's a Contest star, and your brother's a Gym Leader."

"Well, he's not one yet…"

"Regardless," Julie interrupted, "you're pretty famous around these parts. You're just lucky no one knows your face."

"Well, then how do _you_ know my face?"

"I did my research." She crossed her arms and winked. "I need to know my competition." The deafening horn sounded from the ship, signaling it was time to depart. "I guess I'll see you around, Terran Murdock." She retreated back into the cabins, leaving me dumbstruck on the decks.

The ship jerked forward and undulated with the waves of the ocean. I was already starting to feel a little queasy, but I didn't quite want to go find Taylor and Blaire yet. I would later realize that decision was one of the best in my life. I walked around the decks, trying to get used to the constant, uneven motion. This wasn't my greatest idea. Before I could even cross to the other side, I was rushing for the railing with vomit building up in my throat.

I made it not a second too short as I emptied my breakfast into the sea. I struggled to stand back up as dizziness overtook me. _Maybe I should have listened to Blaire… _I thought regretfully. Slowly I regained my balance and was able to stand. Unfortunately, I could only take a couple steps before falling down.

"Oof! Sorry, I didn't see you there," I quickly and blindly apologized to the person I had just ran into.

"No, it's my bad. Here, let me help you up." I looked up and my heart skipped a beat. Standing over me was one of the most beautiful people I had ever seen. He had perfect caramel, making his icy, steel blue eyes stand out even more. Short, thick, perfectly messy black hair topped his head, being the opposite color of his brilliantly white teeth.

"Th―thanks, man," I stuttered as I grabbed his hand and was helped up. He couldn't have been more than a few months older than me and Taylor, and was probably just starting his Pokemon Journey, too.

"No problem." His cheeks were slightly flushed in embarrassment. He flashed me a dazzling apologetic smile. I melted. Words couldn't begin to describe this guy's beauty. Everything about him―from the way the light bounced off his skin to the way the wind toussed his hair―was captivating. I wanted more. I wanted _him._ He waved his hand in front of my face.

"Um, are you all right?" I blinked a couple times, reluctantly coming back to reality.

"Oh yeah, sorry. I must've just…spaced out for a minute." It was a lame excuse, but he bought it.

"You must still be dizzy. I just saw you upchuck over the side of the boat."

"Yeah, that must be it." My lameness was overpowering.

"Maybe you should let me help you back to your room? You know, so you don't vomit all over yourself," he offered with playful malice.

"No, I'll be fine." No sooner had I said that last word, vomit began bubbling up again. The gorgeous boy barely had enough time to jump out of the way of my slimy projectile that now covered the deck. I wobbled up to my knees again.

"You sure about that?" Instead of being disgusted, he giggled and helped me stand up straight.

"I think I'll take you up on that now…"

* * *

**That's chapter two! We already got some lovey-dovey-ness going on here, so we'll see what this plays out to. Well, I already know, but you guys don't. Remember to review and tell me what you think! :D**


	3. Three's Company

So I guess I have some 'splaining to do. I've known I was attracted to males for several years. It wasn't until I was about fourteen, however, that I seriously started to consider that I was gay―or at the very least bisexual. I haven't "come out" to anyone at all, not even my closest friends or my family. It's not that I worry about them being accepting or not―though that is a big contributor. It's really more of a matter of me coming out to myself. It's about me looking in a mirror and being able to say, "Terran Murdock, you're gay."

It sounds ridiculous, I know, but it's a big deal. At least to me it is. People say that the first person you come out to is always the hardest, and that first person is always yourself. Whoever first said that knew what they were talking about. I've had girlfriends in the past, sure, but only as a coverup. I always ended up feeling terrible when I could never reciprocate their feelings.

I know I've been rambling, but what I'm trying to say is I needed to be comfortable with myself before I put myself out.

While he helped me to room 705 to meet my sisters, we talked about usual introductory stuff. His name was Dominic Romero, or Nico for short. He was originally from Fuchsia and, like I thought, was starting his Pokemon Journey that day, too, also as a Trainer. I told him my companion was my twin sister, and that our older sister knew Professor Oak. I conveniently left out our last name, just in case I had found another fan.

"Well, here it is," I said as we approached room 705 with relative ease. I had just noticed that his arms were wrapped around my shoulders the entire time. With another faint blush, he dropped them.

"All right, I guess I'll see you later?" Nico turned, ready to go.

"No, come on, you can hang out with us for a while." I smiled amicably. I was being hospitable, but with an ulterior motive. I wanted to get to know him more. Who knows? Maybe we could become more than just friends? It was a long shot, but worth trying. And if I never had the pleasure of seeing his face again…

"Really, it's fine. I don't want to intrude―."

"You're not intruding at all!" I bit my tongue. I sounded more than a little pushy.

"If you're sure." He shrugged.

"I am." When I opened the door, I regretted it. Bed sheets were strewn across the floor; a potted plant had fallen, scattering dirt everywhere; various items were thrown every which way; and Blaire and Taylor sat in the chairs, heavily exhausted and panting, while Clara sat on the table, politely licking her front paws and purring softly.

"Oh, hey, Terr," Blaire choked out between harsh breaths. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Nico. What happened?"

"Hi, Nico! I'm Blaire!" She stood and brushed some of dust off her clothes.

"Uh, nice to meet you," he responded politely―albeit reluctantly.

"You still didn't answer my question," I interrupted. My mouth hung open slightly as I scanned the chaos again. Clara meowed several times, almost like she was laughing.

"Clara just needs to never eat red Pokeblock in bulk every again. I'm Taylor, by the way." Even when she is covered in debris and the epitome of a hot mess, Taylor never loses an opportunity to flirt. Normally I would just dismiss it, but with Nico…I kind of cared. I found him first.

"Now that introductions are done, I think we'll just go…" My subtlety at trying to get Nico from this dysfunction failed.

"Why? Do we _embarrass_ you?" Blaire taunted. I rolled my eyes.

"Really, Terr, I don't mind staying." Nico was being too nice for his own good. Around my family, that could be fatal. Or at least traumatizing.

"I guess we can hang out for a little bit…"

"Yeah, come on, sit down." Taylor ushered Nico to a comfortable, clean seat. I sighed and seated myself. Taylor was a Pidgeot circling above, ready to swoop down on an innocent Magikarp, Nico.

"So where are you from?" Blaire asked.

"Fuchsia."

"I love Fuchsia! Their Contest Hall is one of the prettiest in Kanto! Do you know Janine?"

He shook his head. "No. Not personally, anyway."

"We're from Vermillion," Taylor supplied, rather rudely interrupting. "But I'm sure Terran already told you that."

"He did." He glanced my direction. "He also said you knew Professor Oak?"

My eyes doubled in size. I made every gesture I could to make for Blaire stop talking, but nothing worked. "Yeah, he's my boss! I actually just got back from Sinnoh doing a research project."

"Wow, you're one of his aides? That's really cool!" I sighed. At least she didn't let the biggest Meowth out of the bag… "What do your parents do?" Now I was ready to cry. Well, that's kind of a stretch, but still.

"They're both ex-Pokemon Champions. You might've heard of them, Kris and Greg Murdock?"

It was Nico's turn for his eyes to grow. "No way? You're the Murdocks' kids? You're like…Pokemon royalty!" He turned to me. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because of this exact reason…" I mumbled inaudibly.

"He probably just didn't want to intimidate you, or scare you off," Taylor answered for me.

"Thanks, Tay," I groaned.

"Not a problem."

"Why would you think I would be intimidated? Dude, I'm probably your parents' biggest fan! I think it's awesome!" He must've realized how fangirly he sounded, so he coughed a couple times and brought his excitement down several levels.

"Again, this is why." Luckily, my sisters were able to entertain Nico while I observed, so he didn't hear. He would ask a million and one questions about our parents, our life in Vermillion, the hype we had to live up to―which all could have been avoided if Blaire would have just kept her mouth shut―and the like. Taylor was eager to get as close as she could to Nico. If I could read their body language correctly, it looked like Nico wasn't too interested in her. That or she forgot to wear deodorant. Both were perfect for me.

Time wore on grudgingly, and once Nico knew enough to write a biography on the Murdocks, he decided it was time to go back to his cabin. "Sorry, guys, but I need to get back to my room to call my parents. You know, to let them know I'm safely on the way."

"Okay…" Taylor was crestfallen. In a sadistic way, that made me happy. He stood to leave, giving Taylor and Blaire quick, small hugs goodbye. From that one gesture, my eyes went green with envy and Taylor's knees went to jelly.

"Well, it was nice meeting you!" Blaire said. I was hopeful for a hug, but didn't want to make it obvious. So when he offered me a simple handshake, I complies and my mood fell slightly.

"Uh huh, definitely," he replied. "Who knows, maybe we'll run into each other again?"

"Maybe," I repeated. Then I thought of something. "Hey, who's your companion? I haven't seen you with anyone else here."

"Oh, yeah. Well, originally I was going to be traveling with my friend, but she bailed at the last minute to go on a study-abroad trip to Hoenn. The tickets were nonrefundable, so instead of finding someone else, my parents and I thought I should be able to find someone in the same situation between Fuchsia and Pallet Town." He bit his lip embarrassedly.

"Have you found anyone?" Taylor asked.

He nervously scratched his head. "Not so much… I'm still working on that one."

"Ooh! Ooh! Idea!" Blaire blurted out.

"Better listen. She doesn't get these often," I murmured to Nico.

"What if you travel with Terran and Taylor?" she suggested. My heart fluttered in my chest.

"Yeah!" Taylor shouted eagerly. "I mean… Sure. Okay. That's cool."

"Nice save," I mouthed to her. She replied by sticking her tongue out.

"Uh, sure. If it's cool with you guys?" Nico gave both of us an asking look.

"I don't see why not." I put an arm around his broad shoulders in a friendly way. Nothing romantic. Yet. "Looks we're going to have a party of three."

"Awesome!" Taylor cheered. "I mean… Yeah, it's totally fine."

"Then it's settled!" Blaire clapped her hands together.

"That's great! Thanks so much, you guys!"

"It's our pleasure, really." I grinned at Nico, and for the first time, we ad a two-way connection. My eyes met his in a way they hadn't before. His smile relaxed a bit, only to come back with a greater intensity. We stood for what seemed like hours, staring at each other deeply, a metaphysical force pulling us together for the first time. In reality, only a couple seconds passed.

He blinked a couple times, bringing us both back to the real world. "Uh, I think I'd better go now." We all said our goodbyes again, and right before he closed our cabin door, I could have sworn he winked at me.

"He seems like a nice kid," Blaire observed.

"Uh huh," Taylor mindlessly agreed. She looked around the cabin, finally realizing what a mess it really was. "We better get to work on this mess…"

Clara mewed, again almost like a laugh. "Skit, skit! Skitty!"

* * *

**Short chapter, but a lot happened. How do you like the new relationship forming? And the possible love triangle? I believe you'll enjoy it. :) Please review, flame or not! :D**


	4. The Oak Lab

"What all did you do up there?" Blaire asked. After toiling for Arceus knows how long, the room was now in decent shape, but still far from where it was before. Exhausted, we were all sprawled out on the large and comfortable beds. "You were gone for almost an hour."

"I was just wandering around. I watched a pretty cool battle between a Growlithe and a Krabby."

Taylor scoffed. "Who's the idiot who sent out the Growlithe? How long did it last before they lost? Thirty seconds?"

"You know, it didn't last long at all until the _Growlithe _won," I answered snidely.

"Say what?"

"Wow, that must've been some Trainer," Blaire said. "Do you know who it was?"

I shook my head. "We only talked for a little bit afterwards. She said her name was Julie. Her mom's Misty, from the Cerulean Gym. How cool is that?"

"No way? Is she starting her Journey today, too?"

"I don't think so. She already had a Pokemon, and it looked pretty powerful."

"Uh, Terr?" Blaire interrupted worriedly.

"Yeah?"

"Misty doesn't have a daughter…" she explained suspiciously. "She has a son, but he's still a baby. I know because I stopped in Cerulean on the way home and wanted to talk to Misty about combining power and elegance in battle…"

I interrupted, both out of surprise and to stop Blaire from going on a tangent. "Really? Then, who _was_ that girl?" I was dumbstruck. It was a weird thing to lie about. Anyone could easily disprove it, like Blaire just did. Besides, what benefits did she gain from it? It seemed like the reasons for her telling me her mom was one of the greatest Water-type Trainers in the world were the same reasons for me _not _telling anybody about my parents. It just didn't make sense.

Blaire shrugged. "Beats me. I could have Professor Oak run her name through the Trainer Database. What's her last name?"

"She didn't say," I answered honestly. "The more I think about it, this chick keeps getting shadier and shadier…"

"Seriously," Taylor added, feigning interest. "Can we just drop the subject? It'll probably figure itself out if we just leave it alone."

"She's right. It's probably just a little white lie to make you think she's 'cool' or something."

"Yeah…guess so," I conceded.

"Skitty! Skit!" We all looked down at Clara, who was digging through Blaire's backpack.

"What are you looking for?" Blaire asked the innocent looking Normal-type. Clara brought her head back out, cheerfully nibbling on a red Pokeblock.

"NO!" Blaire and Taylor screamed at the same time, diving off the bed to stop the Pokemon.

"All this could have been avoided she would learn to just stay in her Pokeball…

* * *

The rest of the trip to Pallet Town was uneventful. Kanto is a small region, so there's not much water distance between Vermillion and Pallet. I think the ride might have been five hours tops. I was able to sneak in a few winks of sleep during the time while Blaire and Taylor chatted endlessly on things that I, as a male, had no hope of understanding. Eventually the chat turned serious and Taylor prodded Blaire's mind about anything and everything related to contests.

"How do you attract the audience's attention?"

"Just outshine the other contestants. You don't need a super-amazing move, just something to make your Pokemon the most noticeable than the others."

"But what if I want to have a super-amazing move? What if I want to annihilate the competition instead of just beating them? What if I want to be, you know, _outstanding _as a Coordinator?"

Blaire smirked. "Tay, my best advice is this: Don't worry about it! Everything will come naturally to you. For me, having one spectacular Appeal is useless. Eventually, the judges will be bored with it. Even the best Appeals can become old news. If you can get a variety of small, elegant moves that make a big impression, I know you'll dominate."

"You really think so?" Taylor's eyes were steeped in doubt. For being a such a genuine, beautiful, confident, and talented girl, she had more insecurities than anyone I knew. It was that fatal flaw that reminded she was human and my sister―and in the running to be my best friend, despite how much we fight.

"I _know_ so!" Blaire replied. "Come on. You are _my _sister after all."

"Conceited much?" I interjected.

"Not conceited," she explained, never turning away from Taylor, "just confident." She pronounced the last word with a wink, trying to get the message across to Taylor. I hoped she had gotten it. Taylor could come in first in a race, get the highest grade on a test, or climb Mt. Moon, but she always found some fault with it. I think she was dwelling in our family's shadow of excellence more than she let on.

We didn't see Nico for the rest of the trip, but I figured he probably took a catnap in his room. About 90% of what all I thought about during the voyage was Nico. How we would get along, how _far_ we would get along, how Taylor as a third party would play into it, if we would eventually have to face each other on the Indigo Plateau… The biggest question I had was: is he even_ in_ to me?

The other 10%, unfortunately, was about Julie. I tried every scenario in my head that could explain this girl. She was going to Pallet Town, the start of everybody's Pokemon Journey, already having a very powerful Pokemon. She had researched the other Trainers, myself included. She told a blatant lie that, if anything, had a negative effect. What was her deal?

The foghorn sounded again, bringing me away from my thoughts. That was gladly appreciated. I looked out the window and could see a thin line of green steadily growing closer. We were coming to Pallet Town! Pallet used to be a town that would've been almost universally unheard of if it wasn't for the Oak Pokemon Lab. In recent years, though, it has seen a big uprising in urbanization. Several housing developments have sprung up, it now had a harbor to make travel easier, and it now had a fully functioning Pokemon Center and Pokemart.

"Come on, we better get up top to beat the crowd." Blaire grabbed her bag and put a pouting Clara back in her ball. Taylor and I grabbed our stuff and followed her out of the cabin and up on to the deck. We weren't the only ones that had the idea. The majority of the new Trainers and Coordinators were already crowding the deck, eager to be the first ones to the Oak Lab.

"I hope I can get a Charmander!"

"Please, Squirtle is so much better than Charmander and Bulbasaur combined!"

"Bulbasaur is the best, no contest!"

I was almost embarrassed that these kids were all my age. The ship slowed down a great deal. I was glad because I could feel myself getting queasy again. With another loud horn blast, the ship docked at the Pallet harbor. Immediately the crowd became unruly, vying to be the first one's off the boat.

"We better find Nico before we get off," Taylor said.

"Uh huh."

"No need to." I jumped and spun around to find that Nico had already found us. He was just as beautiful now as he ever was.

"Ooh, you're good!" Blaire complimented. "Usually it takes an angry old man yelling about his lawn to get Terran to jump like that."

"Thanks, Blaire."

"No problem!"

The same burly sailor that took the tickets and battled Julie forced his way through the crowd to the side of the boat. He let the staircase down onto the dock and hesitantly opened the gate. As soon as he stepped aside, the flood of people poured out and onto the dock.

"Jeez, why is everyone in such a hurry?" Blaire asked no one in particular. "It's not like he's gonna run out of starters. Kids these days…"

Once the crowd had calmed down considerably, the four of us headed down the stairs. All the while I was keeping an eye out for Julie. I never saw her in the crowd, but she could have just blended in really well. I didn't overanalyze that one, as my brain already hurt.

We started walking with the massive crowd to the outskirts of Pallet Town where the Oak Lab was located. It was mid afternoon, so the sun was beating down mercilessly. The Lab was on a large, verdant hill, surrounded by a big iron gate. Blaire smirked as we continued our way through the crowd. Everyone else had stopped, presumedly because the gate was locked.

Taylor, Nico, and I felt more than a little awkward pushing through the crowd of obviously peeved stares. Blaire seemed unfazed as she produced her own key to the gate. I could hear Nico gulp audibly as the glares set on us.

"Why are they so special?"

"That gate's closed for everyone!"

"What douche bags…"

"Uh," Nico whispered to me, "why aren't we waiting for Professor Oak?"

I shrugged. "Blaire probably could get us in. One of the benefits of being an Aide."

"I think some of the others are a little…jealous."

"Let them be. All's fair in love and war," Taylor said. She gave a superior look to a girl giving us stink eye. Nico didn't like attention on him―anyone with eyes could see that. He was sweating more than a little bit, but he still looked just as gorgeous. Blaire came to the gate as if nothing was wrong. With a flourish, she unlocked the gate, quickly ushered us in, then locked it again. We traveled up the hill to the lab, feeling every singly pair of eyes burn a hole into our backs.

"Blaire? Do you really think that was a good idea?" I asked, glancing back down at the crowd.

"Yeah. Now we kind of look like―" Nico began.

"Douche bags," Taylor finished.

Blaire sighed, still just as jovial as she always is. She turned around to face the crowd. "They're not getting their starters! They'll get them the same time you do! We just need to see our dying grandfather who's staying with Professor Oak!"

Without another look, Blaire started back up the hill with us hurriedly following on heels. "That's…_one_ way to handle it…" Behind us, the anger had calmed to near nonexistence. Excellent.

"That was awesome, Blaire!" Taylor complimented. "Usually you're a horrible liar."

She shrugged. "It's something you have to learn to do."

Nico leaned in to whisper something to me. "I kind of feel bad about this… Like I'm sliding through because of your family."

"Just a perk of meeting the right people at the right time," Taylor said.

"Okay. But still…"

"Don't worry about it," I interrupted. "We'll probably never see these people again." I sounded plain evil right then. That was definitely not how I wanted to seem to Nico. "I mean, they probably won't remember this even happening. Plus, it's not like we're getting an unfair advantage or anything."

"Yeah, I guess so." He smiled at me. My heart skipped a beat. We came to the large double doors of the Lab not soon afterward. Blaire took out another key and showed us inside.

"Professor! We're here!" Blaire announced, her voice echoing throughout every corner of the large building. This was Taylor's and my first time in the Lab, and most likely Nico's, too. I looked around in wonder at the high vaulted ceilings, shiny floors, and rows upon rows of complicated machinery, all beeping and lighting up. Probably having sensed where we were, Clara jumped out of her Pokeball again.

"Skit! Skitty!" She scampered across the floor and out a back door into the Pokemon garden.

"She sure knows how to make herself at home," I observed.

"She's been around here enough. It might as well be," Blaire answered.

"Who's we?" the Professor's voice asked back. I could hear his footsteps reverberate through the building as he approached from upstairs.

"Blaire Murdock!" After a pause to remember, she added, "And company!"

"Company?" Professor Oak stepped lightly off the staircase to join us in the foyer. He was a handsome man, older than Blaire by a couple years. He had unruly, spiky brown hair and a perpetual smirk. Clad in a rubber gloves and a white lab coat, he must have just come from working. On what, I had no idea. "Who's company?" he asked amicably, glancing at each one of us.

"This is my brother and sister, Terran and Taylor, and their friend, Nico."

"Hi, nice to finally meet you." I held my hand out and he gladly shook it.

"Likewise. Terran is it?" I nodded. "So that would mean this lovely young lady is Taylor?"

"That would be correct," she answered.

"I don't believe Blaire's mentioned you before," Oak said to Nico.

"Well, we just met him today. He's going to travel with Terran and Taylor," Blaire explained.

"Yeah, I am," he confirmed nervously. "I'm Dominic Romero. Or Nico. Or whichever you'd like, sir." His voice was shaking more than leaves in a hurricane.

Professor Oak chuckled. "'Sir?' Don't be so formal," he said comfortingly. "I think you'll find I'm much more laid back than the usual Pokemon Professor."

Nico's shoulders relaxed, albeit slightly. He looked more relaxed, collected, and placid―exactly how he was in I fell in love with him. Well, maybe not "love," but definitely in "like."

"Hm. Romero… Are you from Fuchsia, by chance?" the Professor asked.

"I am. How did you guess?"

"Your family owns the Safari Zone there, don't they?"

"Yeah, they do," he admitted. "They took over after the old warden passed away, and his son went to the one in Johto."

"I thought so. I get most of my rare Pokemon for observations from them. Very nice people. Surely you're no exception."

"Well, I like to think I'm not," he answered with uncertainty.

"That's the spirit!" Professor Oak put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure you'll fit in perfectly with this group." He gestured to me and my sisters.

"I think he already has." I winked at him in an innocent way with not-so-innocent intentions.

"I think so, too."

"Great. Now, do you have the Sneasel research ready? I'm still preparing the starters for all the new Trainers outside."

"That I do." Blaire reached into her bag and produced several manilla folders filled with papers. "Candice was more than willing to help, too. We should probably giver her a call later."

"That's great." He thumbed through the files, quickly glancing over the work. "I'll need a copy of this sent to Rowan if you really want to propose the new starters."

"Consider it done! Oh, and there's a mass of new Trainers and Coordinators at the gate. If you wait any longer to give them their starters…a riot seems very possible."

Oak sighed and pinched the skin between his eyebrows. "Dealing with the Viridian Gym yesterday, starters today…" he mumbled. "Sometimes I just need a break," he ended with an exasperated sigh.

"What happened at the Viridian Gym?" Taylor asked. It was common knowledge Viridian City's Pokemon Gym had a tumultuous history and went through Gym Leaders faster than a Snorlax through a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"The last Leader quit a month ago, so I've been acting as Leader again for a while since then. We've been trying to find someone qualified by the Indigo League, but so far, no luck. I can't be both a Gym Leader and a Pokemon Professor. It's a wonder I haven't jumped off a cliff after just this month!"

"Couldn't you just close it?" Blaire suggested. "Viridian's close enough to the Indigo Plateau so Trainers would be able to travel around Kanto then go there for badge number eight. By then, you should have found someone."

"I guess you're right…" Oak conceded. "The last time we had to close a Gym for an extended period of time, Trainers were less than happy."

"Don't worry. We'll understand," I assured him.

"You know, let's just drop it. I shouldn't be discussing this with you, anyway."

"Good idea. So, I know you won't be giving out starters until tomorrow, but…" Blaire began.

"I'm not going to give your posse any special treatment, Blaire. No offense to you guys personally, but rules are rules."

"None taken."

"No worries."

"Can't blame me for asking," Blaire shrugged. "Do you have a couple rooms open here? I think we'll probably hang out here a day. Does that sound okay to you?"

"Yeah, definitely." I glanced at Nico and Taylor.

"I'm in no hurry," Taylor agreed. "Besides, I need some time to recover after that boat ride."

"Er, I don't really mind," Nico said. "If it's not an inconvenience for you…" He really was too nice for his own good.

"Psh, guests are always welcome!" Oak gestured down a hallway behind him. "The first three rooms on the left are open. Have your pick."

"Thanks so much, Professor!" Taylor immediately chose one of the guest bedrooms, dropping her bag on the floor then plopping down on the bed very melodramatically.

"I guess we better go, too," I said to Nico.

"Uh huh." I noticed Nico followed me into the same room.

"You guys don't need to share a room," Blaire said. "I have my own upstairs. But thanks so much for your consideration, Nico!"

"Oh, yeah, sure. You're welcome." He didn't do it out of courtesy, he wanted to share a room with _me_! I was so happy I could have died right there! I couldn't show it at all, though. He reluctantly dropped his bag off in the third room then joined the rest of minus Taylor back in the foyer.

"I should probably go deal with the mob outside." Oak peeked through a window and got a scared look on his face. "That riot idea might just come true pretty soon." He walked over to the main door and pulled down a small microphone that was connected to several loudspeakers outside. "Hello everyone. This is Professor Oak," he spoke calmly and professionally. "Unfortunately, do to last-minute preparations, Starter Pokemon will be issued tomorrow, first thing in the morning. You may go to the Pokemon Center in town and book a room under my name for free. Sorry for this inconvenience, and I'll see you soon."

"You don't get paid enough for this job." Blaire gave the exhausted professor a sympathetic hug. He only laughed in response, and in agreement.

* * *

**This chapter is longer than the previous ones, but I guess that makes up for the little one last time. Going through and editing all this writing is taking a lot longer than I thought it would. :( I'll probably get on a schedule of one chapter a day, though. See you tomorrow, and as always, please review! I'll give you lots of hugs and kisses! :D**


	5. Bonding

A couple hours had passed since we arrived at the Oak Lab. Nico and I had been walking around outside in the Pokemon Garden, where there were pens and paddocks imitating every environment, housing almost every species of Pokemon native to Kanto and Johto, along with several from Hoenn and Sinnoh. When you look at the lab from the front, it doesn't seem like it would have this expansive stretch of land. Lo and behold, there were acres upon acres of Pokemon―a Pokemon Researcher's dream. Of course, in essence, that is exactly what the Oak Lab was trying―and succeeding―to be.

Blaire and Professor Oak were still in the lab, probably doing actual work or finishing up preparations for the new Trainers. Taylor was still in her room, catching up on sleep.

Nico and I were sitting in the cool grass on the hill leading back up to the lab. We had walked through all the habitats, but still only saw a fraction of the vast selection of Pokemon available. The sun was just beginning to droop down below the horizon, sending the faintest hints of orange, red, and pink across the azure sky. In front of us was a large pond that shimmered in the sunlight, its placid waters only interrupted by the occasional Magikarp or Goldeen that decided to peek its head out. All in all, it was a serene and flawless scene.

"Have you thought about which starter you want?" I asked Nico.

He shook his head. "No. Well, not a lot, anyway. Have you?"

"Yep. Bulbasaur's the one for me!" I had always loved Bulbasaur, and the Grass-type in general. I wasn't too much a fan of the Poison-type, but that seemed trivial. Bulbasaur was one of the very first Pokemon I was exposed to back at VTA, and just like with Nico, it was love at first sight. Not to mention with there being Water-, Rock-, and Ground-type Gyms in Kanto, I was almost guaranteed a victory. The only Gyms where I would have trouble would be Saffron and Cinnabar Island, but by then I would have gotten some good Pokemon to cover those weaknesses.

Nico nodded his approval. "Bulbasaur's a great choice. I was thinking Charmander…"

"Go for it," I told him. "Charmander's a great Pokemon, and so are its evolutions." While maybe not the best _strategic_ choice, Charmander was still a decent Fire-type.

"Yeah, you're right." He smiled at me.

"I know."

"And very modest."

"Not conceited. I'm just confident," I said, repeating Blaire's words to Taylor.

Nico rolled his eyes playfully. "Your confidence is definitely showing, that's for sure."

"I try."

He sighed deeply, then turned his gaze forward. "I wish I had that…"

"Had what?" I inquired.

"Confidence."

I was taken aback by his frankness. Sure, he seemed shy around new people, but there's a lot of people like that. He was a very attractive young man, very intelligent, very nice and genuine―what could he be self-conscious about?

"What do you mean?"

"You know. The way you and Taylor and Blaire and can just talk so easily to someone as important as Professor Oak and not bat an eyelash, while I sweat bullets―I'm jealous."

"Well, Blaire is around him a lot for work―."

"Yeah, and she didn't act like he was her boss. She acted like they were friends. I have a hard time building up that kind of relationship with someone." He brought his knees up to his chest and stared at the ground.

I was amazed at what was coming out in this one conversation. The usual brilliant sparkle to his eyes diminished greatly. I wanted to give him a hug and comfort him, but honestly, I didn't know what to say. He must have sensed my blankness.

"I know it's weird for me to be dumping all of this on you, Terr, but I wanted to get everything out in the open before we started traveling together. Even from only knowing her a little bit, I know I couldn't talk to Taylor like this."

"She's really into you, man," I blurted out unprovoked. I bit my tongue and instantly regretted saying it.

He scoffed. "I know. She's not really subtle, is she?"

I shook my head no. "Kind of hard not to notice, right?"

"Kind of _very _hard. I wish I could tell her, but there's no way I could ever like her back."

I was about to question him on his answer, but was interrupted by Blaire calling us from the back door of the lab. "Terran and Nico, come on back! Bl―I mean, Professor Oak ordered takeout!"

"We should head back up, I guess." I stood and offered a hand to help Nico up. He gladly, but nervously took it. We walked back into the lab, feeling much closer than we ever have before.

* * *

**This was just a short scene I wanted to squeeze in real fast before the next chapter, which is pretty lengthy. Now for sure this time, see you tomorrow! And please review!**


	6. Enter: Rival

I went to sleep almost immediately that night. Professor Oak should probably invest in new guest beds, though, because it was like sleeping on a wooden board wrapped in sandpaper. I didn't have anything to keep me up like I thought I would―Julie was a distant memory, the journey ahead was embraced instead of feared, and Nico…Nico was a relaxing thought that let me sleep comfortably.

I woke up that morning completely refreshed and ready for whatever was coming my way. I changed into a new pair of clothes, brushed my teeth in the guest bathroom, grabbed my bag, and headed into the main lab area on the second floor. As I expected, Blaire and Oak were already there, setting up endless trays of three Pokeballs―the starters.

"Good morning, Terr!" Blaire greeted cheerily. "You're up awfully early."

"Morning," I yawned back. I envied Blaire's ability to be unaffected by the morning. I usually didn't fully wake up until at least noon, but she could run a marathon at six. "How're you guys?"

"Great!" Blaire examined a couple of the trays one last time before going to the front to see the crowd of new Trainers. Oak mumbled something unintelligible before following.

"What's going on?" Nico asked. He stumbled into the room, still in the process of waking. Sleep still filled his eyes and his hair was a mess. Even at his least, he was the most to me.

"They're getting ready for all the newbies." Even with his eyelids drooping and hair disheveled, he never lost his allure.

"Good! But we get first dibs, right?" Taylor appeared right behind Nico, reminding me of Blaire with her peppiness. This was the Taylor I was used to. Perfect clothes, perfect hair, perfect award-winning smile and aura. It was a pleasant change from yesterday morning, that's for sure.

"But of course!" Blaire answered as she walked back in. "There's a huge crowd outside, even bigger than the one yesterday. We're handing out starters starting right now, so Blue―_Oak_ gave me permission to get you three situated."

I looked into the foyer and saw the Professor trying to organize a single file line out of the door. "Awesome!" Taylor cheered. I could see the thought process going across her face as she tied her hair back in a loose ponytail. "I think Squirtle's gonna be the one for me. Their definitely the cutest."

"I would have to agree with that!" Blaire took a ball from one of the trays and gave it to Taylor.

Taylor beamed as she looked at the Pokeball. "All right! Come on out, Squirtle!" She threw the ball to the ground, releasing the Water-type. The Squirtle wobbled to stand on its feet then looked around the room, its big ruby eyes taking in every detail. When it saw Taylor holding its Pokeball, it jumped up and ran toward her like a long lost best friend.

"Oof!" Taylor stumbled back a little from the impact, but continued to smile. "You're an energetic little guy, aren't you?"

"Squirtle, squirt!" her first Pokemon responded and continued to embrace its new Coordinator.

"Actually, Squirtle's a female," Blaire explained. "And she definitely has taken a liking for you!"

"Great!" Taylor continued to play with her starter, who seemed to have enough energy to swim to Sinnoh and back. Squirtle would be a much needed lesson in patience for Taylor.

"Who's next?" Blaire gestured to the two remaining Pokeballs.

"I think I'll take Charmander," Nico said eagerly.

"I guess that leaves me with Bulbasaur!" Just like that, everything worked out perfectly. Blaire tossed Nico and I our Pokemon, and like Taylor, we immediately let them out.

"Char? Charmander!" Nico's Fire-type skittishly inspected his surroundings. He was obviously scared out of his mind from being around things much bigger than he was. He fell to the ground and covered his eyes, whimpering.

Nico knelt down next down to his starter. "Sh, sh. Calm down, you're all right. We won't hurt you." Nico's voice was soft and angelic, able to open Charmander's eyes for a furtive glance.

"Char?" The orange lizard smiled and crawled into Nico's welcoming embrace.

"There you go. We won't hurt you," he cooed, careful not to touch the flame on the end of Charmander's tail.

"He's definitely a shy one," Blaire whispered.

"Mm-hmm," Taylor agreed.

I looked down at my own starter and saw he was asleep. I stroked his head, trying to gently wake him up. "Hello, Bulbasaur?"

"He's probably just tired from being in his ball for so long," Blaire said.

He cracked open one eye at me. The Grass- and Poison-type gave me a slight smile as he stretched out his stubby legs. "Bulba!" he yawned loudly, startling Charmander.

"Nice of you to join us," I joked. Instead of acting grouchy from being awoken from his nap, Bulbasaur let out the equivalent of a giggle and brushed up against my bent knee. "You're a friendly one, aren't you?"

"Saur, saur!"

"I think he agrees," Blaire interpreted. "I always love seeing Trainers get their first Pokemon! I get Butterfree in my stomach every time!"

"All right, one at a time, follow me this way…" Oak's voice rang out through the lab, along with innumerable eager voices.

"That should be the rest of them! All right, you guys, this is it!" Blaire gave each of us a big bear hug. "I put maps in all of your backpacks, along with a couple potions and some empty Pokeballs. Just head north and you'll get to Viridian. Make sure you call Mom and Dad when you get there!"

"We will." I recalled Bulbasaur, as did Nico with Charmander and Taylor with Squirtle.

"We'll miss you," Taylor said.

"Aw, I'll miss you, too! You, too!" Blaire added to Nico.

"Me too. It was so nice meeting you."

"All right. You guys can head out the back door so you're not crushed by the mob out front." The voices of the new hopefuls were now right outside the room.

"Okay, thanks so much! We'll see you later!" I called as the three of us left out the back door. Blaire waved goodbye as Professor Oak opened the door, letting the flood of people in.

With that, our journey had officially begun. Taylor, Nico, and I had started our Pokemon Journeys. There was no turning back now. The feeling was incredible. To know that we were on our own, battling our way to the top, was an ecstatic enough feeling in itself to last us a lifetime. We went around the lab and out the front gate. The crowd was gathered at the front door, slowly filing inside. We walked down the dirt road until we were in Pallet Town.

"This is it, guys," I said as we strolled through the town, leaving the Oak Lab behind. "We're legit now!"

"I know! I can't believe it!" Taylor squealed.

Nico smiled his agreement. He reached into his backpack and produced the map Blaire had supplied us with. "I think we can make it to Viridian before the sun sets."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Good. I don't feel like camping out in the wild for the first night." Taylor shuddered at the thought. "Not a good way to start a Coordinating career, that's for sure."

* * *

The sun was high in the sky, warming every plant and creature it touched. We had left Pallet Town behind us and were now well on our way through Route 1. The whole route was overgrown with tall grass and lined with dense trees, and only a faint dirt path was visible on the ground. The air was filled with sounds of rustling in the grass and cries of wild Pokemon.

Taylor and Nico had been talking the whole time we've been walking. Well, she was talking at him and he went with it. She took everything she knew from her first inquisition on the boat and tried to extrapolate on it. It's a good thing I knew Nico wasn't interested, or I might have been a little peeved, or worse―envious.

"How much longer till Viridian?" Taylor asked, interrupting her one-sided conversation.

"We've only been walking for like half an hour."

"So? It's still good to know how long we have left."

Before an argument could start, there was a rustling in one of the trees overhead. We all stopped in our tracks. "Was that a Pokemon?"

"I don't know." I reached into my backpack for an empty Pokeball, pressing the small white button to make it enlarge and fill my hand.

"You're gonna catch it?" Nico asked incredulously.

I shrugged. "I have to start building my party somewhere, don't I?"

From one a lower branch on the tree, a Pidgey sprung out and fluttered down to the ground. It's feathers were ruffled and was ready to attack. It cawed several times to intimidate us.

"A Pidgey! And this one looks like a fighter!" I plucked Bulbasaur's ball from my belt. "Go, Bulbasaur!" He was ready and alert in an instant. Taylor and Nico stood back to watch my first official wild Pokemon battle. "Let's start things off simple…" I mumbled to myself. "Bulbasaur, use Tackle!"

"Bulba!" He gritted his teeth and lunged forward, hitting the Pidgey full force. The Pidgey reeled from the attack and cawed again. It was hurt, but wasn't giving up. It flapped its wings vigorously, sending up dirt right into Bulbasaur's eyes. The three of us humans coughed from the Sand-Attack.

"Try to keep your eyes on it, Bulbasaur!" I commanded. He blinked several times, trying to subdue the pain and regain his vision. The sand settled, revealing the Pidgey back on the ground with its leg bent up.

"Its hurt, Terran," Nico said from the sidelines. I nodded and threw the empty Pokeball at the injured Pokemon. It let loose another loud cry as it was sucked into the capsule. The ball fell to the ground and shook once, twice, three times. We all stared on in anticipation. The ball abruptly stopped shaking and the red light turned white.

"Yes! My first catch!" I cheered.

"Bulbasaur, saur!" Bulbasaur congratulated.

I went down and petted him. "You did great, buddy." The starter smiled big as I recalled him into his Pokeball. I picked up my newly caught Pidgey's ball.

"Great job, Terr." Nico patted me on the back. "First catch, and I think it's a pretty good one."

"Thanks, man." I smiled at the ball. It was just one of the many firsts I would meet. In one instant, I was overwhelmed with pride.

"Now that that's over with," Taylor said impatiently, glancing at her Poketch, "we need to get going. Probably even faster, because that Pidgey looked pretty beat up."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go." I minimized Pidgey's Pokeball and placed it on my belt next to Bulbasaur. "How far away are we from the nearest Pokemon Center?"

"The next one isn't until Viridian," Nico said. "Looks like we can't catch a break until then."

I sighed, suddenly feeling bad for my new Pidgey. "What are we waiting for?" We walked on, now at a brisker pace, through Route 1. Luckily, we didn't run into any other wild Pokemon. All was going well until we came to large expanse of tall grass we couldn't walk around.

"That's just great," Taylor grumbled. She rolled down her socks into her shoes. "If I get a thistle on me, I'm not gonna be a happy camper."

"Like you weren't one before?" I joked. Nico stifled a laugh.

"Funny." Taylor stepped cautiously through the grass, careful to avoid anything that might have been crawling around. Nico and I followed, not nearly as worried. Maybe we should have been, though. About halfway through, we all heard a tiny crack and a loud shriek of pain.

Nico looked down and jumped several feet back. "Gah! I'm―I'm so sorry!" Where he had just been standing was a Rattata who wasn't in the best of moods. It's curled tail had a big red mark in the center, quickly turning into a large bruise. "I didn't mean to step on it! I―I couldn't see, and―."

"Dude, calm down. It was an accident." The Rattata was whimpering lightly and not moving much.

"Oh my Arceus, is it all right?" Taylor quickly knelt down next to the injured Pokemon. Taylor always had a passion for caring for Pokemon. I was shocked when she decided to become a Coordinator instead of a nurse. "Sh, sh," she cooed as she stroked its purple fur. She was also one of the few girls in the whole of Vermilion, maybe even Kanto, who wasn't scared of rodents or bugs.

"Is it gonna be okay?" Nico's voice dripped with worry for the poor creature. He went next to Taylor, but wasn't greeted as friendly as she was. The Rattata's eyes shot open. It jumped to its feet in a battle ready position and snarled.

"It wants to battle," I observed blankly.

"What? No way. I'm not gonna battle a hurt―." Nico was cut off by another low growl. The Rattata jumped up and bite down on his hand. Not hard, but just enough to let him know he meant business. "Ow! Okay, I guess so."

Still wincing from the bite, Nico released his skittish Charmander. Charmander looked around, scared of the big world around him. The Rattata snarled again. Startled, Charmander ran to hide behind Nico's leg.

"Wow…" Taylor tried not to sound disapproving, but Nico picked up on it.

"Charmander, you have to go out there buddy," he encouraged, easing the Fire-type out to face the wild Pokemon. Charmander visibly gulped, but obeyed his Trainer. Without warning, Rattata jumped forward faster than light with a Quick Attack, landing it right in Charmander's stomach. Charmander grunted, but held his ground, waiting for Nico's command.

"All right, use, uh, Scratch!" Charmander obliged, extending his small claws and swiping furiously at the Rattata, leaving several marks along its back. "Good! Now, see if you can use Ember!" Charmander opened its mouth, trying to force the attack out, but there was no success. Only a faint puff of smoke appeared.

"He doesn't know Ember yet," Taylor concluded. "Just keep using Scratch, you're doing great, Nico!" she cheered.

"Scratch, again!" Nico commanded. Before Charmander could attack, Rattata hit it in the side with a swift but effective Tackle. Charmander quickly bounced back up and swiped again, sending Rattata to the ground. It was defeated, and it knew it. It laid calmly on the ground, awaiting the inevitable without malice.

"Good job, Nico!" I congratulated.

He beamed from his victory. "Thanks. Just one more thing left…" He reached into his backpack, producing an empty Pokeball. "Let's cross our fingers." He threw the ball, and as soon as Rattata was inside, the ball stopped moving and the light went white.

"Wow, that wasn't as hard as I thought it would be…"

I put a hand on his shoulder. "Hopefully it'll stay easy. These won't be our last catches."

Taylor shook her head. "I don't get how you guys can catch whatever crosses our path. You must have some ideal team planned out already, right?"

"Let me guess, you do?" Taylor smirked.

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"Well, I think beggars can't be choosers. I'm sticking with this Pidgey." I glanced at the minimized Pokeball on my belt. "I'm sure whatever else I happen to catch I'll be happy with."

"I think I'm siding with Terran on this one," Nico admitted. "Obviously I ran into this Rattata for a reason. Otherwise it wouldn't be sitting in my Pokeball right now."

Taylor sighed and conceded. "Okay, but we still need to hoof it to Viridian now."

"I second the motion," Nico added.

We started making our way through the route again. I could still feel sympathy for the injuries my Pidgey had. That was all the more encouragement I needed. The sun had slowly reached its highest point and just started its descent. Crossing my fingers, I hoped we would make it to Viridian before dusk.

"If you don't mind me asking," Nico spoke softly to Taylor, "what _is_ your ideal Pokemon team?"

"Squirtle, obviously," she answered quickly. "Then I'd want a cute Fire-type to train it in Beauty moves―like a Vulpix, or maybe a Torchic. A Psychic-type would be good, too. I was thinking a Natu, but those are pretty rare in Kanto, so nothing's set in stone."

"Wow, you're really serious about this."

"I kind of have to be. Coordinator's are only allowed four Pokemon in their party. I have to make those four count."

Interrupting their conversation, I pointed ahead of us. "Hey, looks like we're not all alone on this route." Their gazes were averted forward to see two figures sitting on a soft patch of grass, taking a break from their journey.

"Let's hope they don't want to battle," Nico muttered.

"Why? You can never get enough practice." I quickened my pace to a light jog, waving at the two people. "Hey, what's up?" I called.

They were two girls, both our age. One rose to her feet, looking energetic and excited to see other people. She had thick, sunny blonde hair feathered down her back, kept in place with a bright pink bow. Brilliant blue eyes exuded peppiness, as did her overall warm aura.

"Hi!" she shouted toward us. "Come on over, we haven't met any other travelers yet!" Our trio arrived at their makeshift campsite, where we were each greeted with hugs from the blonde girl. This girl would put Blaire to shame, that's for sure. I heard a couple pops from my spine.

"It's so good to meet all of you!" she squealed. "I'm Brooke! Brooke DeWitt from Saffron City! And you guys are?"

"I'm Terran," I coughed out once I got my breath back. For some reason, I was regretting coming over to them. "And this is my twin sister, Taylor. We're from Vermillion."

Brooke stepped back to do a double take between Taylor and I. "Oh my Arceus, you look _just _alike!"

"That's what tends to happen when you're twins," Taylor muttered through a forced pleasant grin.

"I'm Nico. Great to meet you." Nico hesitated, but not as much as I would have expected.

"Awesome!"

I noticed the second girl was still leaning back on the blanket they had lain on the ground. She hadn't moved an inch since we got there. Her dark almond-shaped eyes intensely looked at us, studying us in a threatening way. Her mouth was just a thin line, not saying or showing anything. Sleek black hair bounced around her shoulders and covered much of her face, save eyes, nose, and mouth. Unlike Brooke, she sent out a feeling of superiority and melancholy.

"Oh! And this is Michelle! We're both from the same place and best friends!" Brooke gestured to the solemn girl, Michelle.

"Hey, how's it going?" Her voice was distinctly pleasant, something I found surprising. She slowly stood, almost looking like she would rather have been killed than meet us. For a split second, our eyes met in a single intimidating glare. I nervously averted my gaze, but I could still feel her glare on me.

"So, are you guys both Trainers?" I asked, hoping to break the awkwardness.

"Nope, I'm a Coordinator, but Michelle is," Brooke replied. Michelle nodded with a forced half smile. "Are you?"

"Me and Nico are. Taylor's a Coordinator, too."

"That I am," she confirmed happily. "I was hoping to get into the Viridian Contest tomorrow. That is, if we get there in time," she added with urgency.

"Really? I was planning on making that my _last _one!" Brooke shook her head. "There's a lot of tough Coordinators in Viridian."

Taylor shrugged indifferently. "Well, I like to challenge myself. If I lose, then I could just try again."

"Wow! You're so cool!" Brooke gave her another quick hug. "So confident, so fearless. I like that!"

"Thank you!" Taylor said genuinely.

"Do you want to battle?" Michelle interjected unprecedentedly. Her hardened expression never changed.

"Michelle, we just met them…"

"No, I don't mind." I gave Michelle a challenging smile. "Just a warning, it'll be my first."

"Mine too."

"Terran, you don't really have to," Nico tried to coax me out of the battle.

"I think I kind of do. What kind of Trainer would I be if I denied someone a battle?"

Michelle smirked. "Good thinking." Brooke shook her head disapprovingly as we walked away from the patch of grass into a wider area.

"This ought to be good," I heard Taylor whisper to Nico.

Michelle took a battle-ready position, determination firing behind her eyes. "Let's just do a simple one-on-one, 'kay? First to make the other faint. You can choose first."

I nodded. "Thanks. Sounds like a plan." I reached for Bulbasaur's ball. _First battle. We got this,_ I encouraged mentally. "Go, Bulbasaur!"

"Saur! Bulbasaur!" He looked up and saw the figure of Michelle above him. He was taken aback, but didn't back down. This Pokemon was going to be a great asset to my team.

"Bulbasaur, eh?" Michelle observed tauntingly. "Spearow, let's do this!" She sent out her Pokemon with a flourish. The small bird Pokemon cawed several times and fluttered to the ground, kicking up some dust. I winced. We definitely had the type disadvantage, but if I was going to become a Pokemon Master, I'd have to learn to adapt.

"All right, Bulbasaur, use Tackle!" Bulbasaur began charging at Michelle's Spearow.

"Dodge, then use Gust!" Michelle commanded.

"Spearow! Row!" Spearow flapped a couple times, just enough to evade Bulbasaur's attack. Then it flapped several times in quick succession, causing small but violent winds to whip around Bulbasaur.

"Bulba!" he cried in pain. He landed a couple feet away, struggling to stay on his feet. But the drive of the fight never left him.

"Shake it off, Bulbasaur!" I racked my brain to think of what attacks a Grass-type gets early on. I hadn't been with Bulbasaur long enough to know his full moveset. "Let's try Stun Spore!" Bulbasaur's face contorted as it tried to concentrate on the attack. A couple shiny yellow seeds flew from the bulb on his back at the Spearow. It wasn't enough to make any effect.

"That all you got?" Michelle taunted. "Use Gust one last time!"

"Row!" Another Gust attack swept across Bulbasaur, sending him crashing to the ground yet again. Only this time, he didn't get back on his feet.

"Bulbasaur!" I called. I ran over to his limp body. He was out cold. I cracked a faint smile. "Well, it was a good try. Return." He was back in the safety of his Pokeball.

"Good job, Spearow," Michelle congratulated her Pokemon.

"Spearow!" it cawed in victory as it went back inside its ball.

"Well, you beat me. Great battle." I offered my hand in a friendly gesture.

"Learn your Pokemon better," she said, ignoring the gesture. No consolations, no "good job," nothing. Just that. "Know what your Pokemon can and can't do, and you'll see a lot more victories."

"Michelle, lay off," Brooke whined. "It was his first time."

"Well, what's a defeat if you don't learn something from it?" She walked over to me, eye to eye. "Just some advice to help the next time we meet. And we _will _meet again." She winked and went back over to the blanket to take a nap.

Taylor gave me a sympathetic hug. "Don't worry about it. Just one loss. No big deal."

"Yeah. That's it."

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine, really." It was true. I wasn't upset. I took it as a learning experience.

"I'm sorry about her," Brooke apologized with a nod at Michelle, who was laying back down on the blanket.

"Don't be," I said dismissively. I laughed. "Next time, I'll know better."

"But still…"

"Really, no worries." I looked at the sky and saw the sun beginning to lap toward the horizon more and more. "Guys, we better start going."

"Yeah, definitely," Taylor agreed. "Are you and Michelle going to Viridian tonight?"

"No, we were gonna camp out here for the night, then head over there in the morning."

"Really? You could come with us. We could share a room at the Pokemon Center. It's no trouble on our part."

"Yeah, you guys should come," I added, hoping Michelle could my hear consideration.

"No, really. We'll stay here. But thanks so much for the offer!" Brooke gave each of us another big hug. "It was so great meeting you guys! See you around!"

"Bye, Brooke," we replied, almost in a chorus as we started to walk off. I was tempted to give a sarcastic goodbye to Michelle, but Taylor stopped me before I had the chance.

"Let's try to leave a good impression on the competition, huh?"

"Fine."

* * *

**So Terran and Nico caught their first Pokemon, they met their first rivals, and Terran lost his first battle. All in all, a pretty good chapter. See you tomorrow, and PLEASE review! :D**


	7. Viridian City

We entered Viridian City right as dusk became night. The bright city lights made it seem much less dark, however. We were all exhausted from almost a full day of trekking from Pallet Town. Taylor was taking it the hardest. Her legs looked like they could barely support her body weight one more step. Nico, ever the gentlemen, offered her a piggyback ride, which she gladly took.

"Well, we're here, finally," I announced. The streets still saw the infrequent person shuffling around town, visiting the various shops, tall skyscrapers, and multiple Pokemon-centered buildings.

"Ugh, finally. I need to sleep for a good twelve hours!" Taylor sighed in ecstasy when she saw the desired red roof of the nearest Pokemon Center.

"Let's not waste any time," Nico urged. "Don't want to get there after it closes."

I had wanted to check out the Gym quickly to see if Professor Oak had gotten a replacement yet, but that could wait till morning. We trumped over to the building like an oasis in the middle of a desert. Immediately we were greeted by a comforting homey warmth and the smell of freshly made Pokemon Food. It smelled like back home when Mom would babysit the neighbors' Pokemon for a while. I instantly felt better.

"I'll go get us a room," I offered. Nico grunted his agreement as he dropped Taylor from his back onto one of the nearby couches. There were several other Trainers and Coordinators lounging around. None took a second glance to the half-asleep teenaged girl―almost literally―dropped onto a vacant spot.

"Thanks. I'll probably have to babysit your sister, anyway. Wait―." Nico reached for his belt and gave me Charmander's and Rattata's balls, along with Taylor's Squirtle that he got from her. "Do you think you could―."

"Oh yeah, sure," I said before he finished his question. I felt stupid for not asking to heal our Pokemon first. Especially remembering how badly hurt my Pidgey was. I took the three balls along with my two to the front desk. The familiar face of Nurse Joy operated behind the counter, taking several Trainers' Pokemon, then giving them to the Chanseys that took them to a small machine to heal them. I always thought it was strange how strong the family resemblance between all the Nurse Joys was, but I mostly dismissed it now.

"Hello, how can I help you?" the cheery pink haired woman asked.

"Hi, I just need my Pokemon healed."

"Sure thing!" I handed her the five balls that she quickly placed in a tray. A Chansey waddled over promptly to take the tray. "We'll call you right when they're ready." She gave an illuminating smile.

"Thanks so much, Nurse Joy." When I turned to leave, I accidentally bumped shoulders with another person.

"Oops, sorry, man," he quickly apologized.

"Oh, no, it was my fault." I bent down to pick up the small case that he had dropped. It was definitely something either for Gym Badges or Contest Ribbons. "Here you go."

"Thanks!" He was, as expected, about my same age, probably just beginning his journey, too. He was on the shorter side, but was filled out nicely with slight muscle definition. His skin was light mocha, but naturally rosy on his cheeks. He wore a backwards baseball cap over a mop of long, thick brown hair. Dark bags drooped below his paled amber eyes. "I'm Adam, by the way," he chirped afterwards. The brightness of his voice didn't match his haggard and exhausted appearance in the slightest.

"Terran, nice to meet you."

"Are you just starting out, too?"

"Yep. This our first night, actually." I pointed over to Nico and Taylor sitting on the couch by the softly cackling fire, her sound asleep and him struggling to stay awake. "My sister, Taylor, was hoping to enter the Viridian City Contest tomorrow. She's a Coordinator, and me Nico over there are both Trainers."

"No way? Me and Veronica―my companion―are entering the Contest tomorrow, too!"

"Really? That's cool. It must suck that you guys have to compete against each other, though." For the first time, I actually thought the same thing applied to me and Nico. We were both Trainers, and if we get to the Indigo Conference, then we'd have to battle each other sooner or later. I honestly don't know how either of us would handle it. I'd hate to let somebody win, but I'd also hate to beat someone who's close to me―and who has the potential to become even closer.

He shrugged. "Nah, it's no big deal. We've been Coordinating against each other pretty much since we first met. We still managed to be friends, so I guess it's working out."

"Chansey!" A Chansey emerged from behind the counter, carrying the try with five pokeballs over to me, followed by a girl carrying an Oddish in her arms.

"Thanks so much!" I gave the nursing Pokemon a grateful pat on the head. The girl with the Oddish came over and stood right next to Adam.

"Hey, Adam. Who's this?" The girl was petite in size, but huge in authority. Straight auburn hair fell over her shoulders, with ornate hair clips holding back her bangs. Her clothes easily out-priced that of any starting Trainer or Coordinator. Condescending and uncaring blue eyes stared forward at me, seeming never to blink. She stroked the leaves on her Oddish's head gracefully, lulling the Grass-type to sleep.

"This is Terran, he's a Trainer," Adam introduced genuinely, almost seeming intimidated by her. Their personalities were so opposite, I wondered how they could be acquaintances, much less traveling companions. "Terran, this is Veronica."

"Nice to meet you." I attempted to be pleasant.

"Hm," she haughtily grunted in response. "Did you get us a room yet? Olivia needs to go to bed." She indicated her Oddish, now with closing eyelids.

"Can't you just put her in her ball?" I suggested. I later regretted it.

She scoffed resoundingly. "I would never! Don't you _know_ what Pokeballs can do to the condition of Contest Pokemon? It can ruin not only their appearance, but their stage presence, too! Of course, when you're a Trainer, I guess you don't need to care about that kind of stuff."

"Uh… I guess we don't."

She turned to Adam. "I still don't understand why you keep your Phanpy in his ball."

He gave me a sideways smirk. "You know, Ronnie, Terran's sister is a Coordinator, too. She's going into the Viridian Contest tomorrow."

Veronica perked up. "Oh really now?" I nodded reluctantly. "I'll have to introduce myself, then." She marched off towards the couches, waking up Olivia in the process.

Adam gave me an exasperated look that said everything he needed to. We quickly joined her, and I showed them to Taylor and Nico. Taylor's head was resting on Nico's shoulder while Nico slowly nodded off. I tried to gently wake them up, but Veronica coughed loudly enough to wake a Snorlax.

"Hm? What's going on?" Taylor slurred.

"Guys, this is Veronica and Adam. They're both Coordinators. Veronica and Adam, these are my companions, Taylor and Nico."

"Charmed." Veronica eyed Taylor critically, then extended her hand.

"It's great to meet another Coordinator," Taylor said between yawns.

"Good to meet you, man," Adam said to Nico.

"Yeah, you, too."

"So are you guys entering the contest here tomorrow?" Taylor asked. She had energized herself fully now. If I knew my sister, she was probably doing one of two things: trying to impress the competition, or flirting with the opposite sex―both of which she could be doing very successfully. I saw Adam visibly flinch at one of her giggly smiles.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. Can we expect to face off against you?" I've noticed that Veronica didn't converse with other people when she talked. She more interrogated the other person.

"Yes you can," Taylor answered confidently.

"Excellent! Well, I guess we'll see you then. We have to get to bed." She started walking towards the rooms, and with a demanding head nod, Adam dutifully followed. Now I knew what caused the circles under Adam's eyes. Poor guy.

"See you guys!" he waved.

"See you tomorrow!" Taylor gave one last goodbye to Veronica for good measure.

"What was that for?" I asked.

"I have to be nice for when I crush her tomorrow," she answered plainly.

"Wait… Why?" Nico asked, utterly confused.

Taylor sighed. "She's obviously trying to come off as nice to me―."

"Which didn't work at all," I interjected quickly.

"―so I might go easy on her during Contests since we'd be 'friends.' I might as well humor her so she gets cocky, then completely annihilate her." She explained the plan with such nonchalance, it was almost scary.

"You're evil," I commented congratulatory.

"I know. Now, gimme back my Pokemon and let's go to our room."

* * *

The rooms in the Pokemon Center were modest, but comfortable. Two beds, a couple chairs, a small bathroom, and an aging video phone. The phone looked like a model from almost twenty years ago, when my parents were Trainers. I knew we'd probably need to call home just to let Mom and Dad know that we arrived in Viridian safely.

"I don't think I've ever been this happy to see a bed in my life!" Taylor shouted as she collapsed onto one of the twin beds. "Mm, it feels so good. Even if it does smell like a Tauros's butt."

"That's a wonderful image, Tay."

"I try."

"Um, Terran? Would you mind if I let Charmander and Rattata out of their balls? You know, just to stretch and get to know each other better?" Nico asked meekly. Oh my Arceus he was cute! The way his eyes grow bigger when he asks a question, the rosiness to his complexion that heightens when he's embarrassed or unsure―which is a lot. I'm not usually a gusher, but this boy was different. Very different.

"Oh, yeah, of course, man." I paused. "Actually, that's not a bad idea."

He smiled and grabbed his two Pokeballs. "All right Charmander and Rattata, come on out!" The scarlet beams of light coalesced into the familiar shapes of Nico's first two Pokemon. Charmander had become familiar with mine and Taylor's presence, but this new environment sent him right back to his spastically paranoid self. He jumped behind Nico's leg, burying his face in the crook of his knee.

Nico's Rattata, on the other hand, was much more relaxed than the first meeting. His tail seemed to have healed up nicely from Nico's unintentional injury. "Rattata, ratta?" he cheeped curiously as he darted around the room, sniffing at the various objects and people. Once he was satisfied, he plopped himself on a pillow that had fallen to the ground and curled up to sleep.

"Well, I'm glad _he's_ happy now," Nico commented, stroking Charmander lovingly, trying to loosen up the Fire-type.

"I guess we better get better acquainted, too," I said, nodding at Taylor. "Bulbasaur! Pidgey! Let's go!"

"You, too, Squirtle!" The three Pokemon appeared in the room, all with different reactions. Bulbasaur, ever the calm and collected one, rubbed his head against my shin in a greeting, then laid down at my feet with an amicable smile for everyone. Pidgey, however, stayed close to me, fluttering around a bit only to land on my shoulder. She gave me a light peck on my head, maybe showing mild affection.

Squirtle didn't stay in one place for very long. She went straight to running around, giving everybody―even the sleeping Rattata, who was less than receptive―the Pokemon equivalent of a glomping hug. The Water-type never seemed to run out of energy. Taylor certainly was going to have her hands full.

Before Squirtle could break anything, Taylor quickly called her over. "Squirtle! Come on!" She jumped into Taylor's arms, knocking them both onto the bed. "Oof! Okay, now we're gonna calm down, right?"

"Squirt! Squirt!" Squirtle giggled.

"I'll take that as a maybe…"

"I'm gonna call Mom and Dad, all right, Tay?" I said over my shoulder as she struggled to get Squirtle to calm down.

"Sure, I'll be over to talk in a little―HEY! Don't eat those!"

_And I thought Clara was bad…_ I mused to myself as I dialed my home number on the video phone. Nico stood out of the way awkwardly. "You can come and talk to them," I invited. "I promise they're not gonna bite you."

"Uh, okay, sure. It's just―Well, honestly, I'm a little star-struck," he confessed.

"Don't be! They're normal, crazy, embarrassing parents."

The phone rang a couple times before a voice answered and an image appeared on the screen. "Hello? Hi, Terran! It's so good to hear from you!" Mom gushed. She motioned outside of the screen for others to join her. "How are you? Is Taylor there? Are you guys in Viridian?"

"We're fine, Mom. Yeah, Taylor's just back there messing with her Squirtle, and we just got in a few minutes ago and are in a room at the Pokemon Center now."

"That's wonderful!" The pride she held for me―for all her children―exuded relentlessly from her eyes. "Did you say Taylor has a Squirtle? Oh―my little babies have their first Pokemon! What's your starter? Have you caught anything else?"

"I got a Bulbasaur, and I caught a Pidgey just after leaving Pallet," I explained proudly. Like it was her cue, Pidgey fluttered over and perched on my shoulder. Bulbasaur was lying on the ground, halfway fallen asleep. I saw on the video Dad and Seth join Mom, both beaming just as brightly as her. The blind pride my parents had for me―for _all_ their children―was the most admirable quality they had.

Some may think two ex-Champions getting together and starting a family just begs for success from everybody. But our parents never forced to do anything we didn't want to. Hell, they hardly helped us accomplish anything we wanted! Blaire, as the first Coordinator in a family of Trainers was almost 100% self-taught. Jason learned most of he knew from Lt. Surge. Taylor and I both were going into our Journeys with little-to-no guidance. It just goes to show that even though our family is pretty famous, each person earned it individually, not just because of our last name.

Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.

"We are so proud of you, son!" Dad said. "And of Taylor, too!" I saw his eyes glance quickly to my side, all three of them noticing Nico for the first time.

"Sorry, but who's this?" Seth indicated Nico, who visibly tensed up.

"This is Nico," Taylor explained, jumping into the frame from behind. "We met him on the boat, and he didn't have a companion, so we remedied the situation."

"It's―It's very n―nice to m―meet all of you," he stammered.

"It's very nice to meet you, too, Nico." Mom sensed he was nervous. Who wouldn't be, meeting the ultimate power couple in Pokemon?

"He's kind of a fan of yours," I supplied. Nico went even redder, and thus even cuter.

"Is that so?" Dad smiled. "It's always great to meet a Murdock supporter. So where are you from?"

"F―Fuchsia. My parents own the S―Safari Zone," he explained hurriedly.

"Really? You're one of the Romero clan, then, huh?" Nico nodded. "We've never really met them, but we hear they're great people and keep the Safari Zone in excellent condition."

Nico smiled awkwardly. "I guess so. Thank you, Mr. Murdock."

"Please, call my Greg."

"Uh, okay, Greg…" Taylor decided to end the torture.

"So how have you guys been? Anything going on in Vermillion?" All of their faces suddenly went solemn, Seth's most of all. It was then that I noticed that they were all wearing black.

"Lt. Surge d―passed away on the day you guys left Vermillion. The service was today," Mom explained simply. Seth tried to suppress a tear from falling down his cheek.

"Oh, Arceus… I'm so sorry. That's horrible." Taylor was in shock, as was I.

"So what happens to the Gym?" Nico asked meekly.

"I take over all the duties tomorrow," Seth said plainly. "I've been training under Lt. Surge for a while now, so I'm pretty sure I can get the hang of it pretty fast before the big rush of Trainers."

"I'm really sorry, Seth," I said. "That's gotta be rough."

He put on a false smile. "Nah, I'll be fine. Now I get to see how good of a Trainer my little bro _really _is! And I guess his new friend, too." Nico couldn't get any redder, but he kept getting cuter.

"That's right. And don't go easy on us, either!"

"I wouldn't dream of it!" He winked.

"Well, we'd better go, kids," Mom announced. "It was very nice meeting you, Nico."

"You too, Mrs.―I mean, Kris." He catches on fast, doesn't he?

"See you guys later!"

"And when you come by Vermillion, don't be too shy to stop by and say hi."

"We won't, Dad," Taylor said sternly. "Hopefully our egos haven't gotten _that _big by then."

"Bye guys!" I hung up the phone.

Nico let out a loud sigh. "Wow, that was an experience. I don't think ever talked to anyone that―_important_ in my life!"

I put my arm around his shoulders. "Relax, dude. I swear, they're just normal parents." He gave me an exasperated grin.

Taylor had finally gotten Squirtle under control and asleep on a pillow. "Time for bed, guys," she announced as she plopped on the bed, careful not to wake up Squirtle. She was out in a second, leaving me and Nico for the other bed. Oh. My. Arceus.

"Um, I guess we'll sleep together?" I said, my voice quivering. I don't get nervous, really, at all. But at that moment, I could feel the blood growing hot in my cheeks and my palms beginning to sweat. Nico, who I knew was hardly ever _not _nervous, actually seemed relatively calm.

"Yeah, I guess so," he shrugged. I was about to get in bed with one of the hottest people I knew! Granted, we were just sleeping together―not _sleeping_ together, it was still nerve-wracking! I made sure Bulbasaur and Pidgey were conformable in their positions on the floor, then I tentatively crawled into the left side, not bothering to undress or get in pajamas.

"Good night, Terr," Nico said as he turned off the lights. I tried to answer, but my throat had closed up. I think he got the message, anyway.

* * *

**So we got to Viridian, met a new a friend, met a new 'friend,' called the parents, and had an awkward moment before bed. All in all, a pretty good chapter. I'm really sorry for killing off Lt. Surge, but most of the weird things I've done to the Pokemon World will all make sense soon enough... Until next time, please review! :D**


	8. The Viridian Contest: Part 1

"Are you sure you want to enter today?" I asked Taylor the next morning. We had all showered and dressed, and were now enjoying a complimentary continental breakfast in the Pokemon Center's lobby. Last night I could barely get any sleep. Just knowing that Nico was right next to me would have been enough, but coupled with me being able to feel his body heat and every breath he took―it's a wonder I didn't go into cardiac arrest. Thankfully, the awkwardness didn't carry on to the next morning. Or maybe I was just too exhausted not to notice.

"I'm positive," she reiterated. "I have to get my feet wet in Contests somehow, right?"

"That's true," Nico commented softly.

"Are you guys still going to check out the Gym?"

"Yeah, we'll probably do that while you register," I answered.

"Hopefully they'll still let you register the day of," Nico added.

"I don't see why they wouldn't," Taylor began. "And if they don't, I can just flash them a smile and have it all be okay."

"Well, let's hope you can smile your way to the Kanto Grand Festival," a smug voice said from behind Taylor. We all turned to see Veronica with Adam at her flank. She was dressed even more elegantly than our first meeting, if that was possible. Adam looked like he tried to dress up for the Contest, but ultimately settled with comfort over fashion. I couldn't blame him.

"Nice to see you, Veronica!" Taylor said, oozing with falsehood. "Good luck, today."

"Thanks, love. Not that I'll need it, but your consideration is appreciated." She nodded for Adam to follow her outside, presumedly to the Contest Hall.

"See you guys then!" he called out to us.

"I feel so bad for that guy." Nico and Taylor readily agreed with me.

* * *

"We'll meet you in the lobby right before the Contest, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan." Taylor checked her Poketch. "The Contest starts in about an hour and a half, so hurry." Not wanting to be out-staged by Veronica, Taylor had quickly changed into her most elaborate outfit. While still not quite outdoing Veronica, she definitely pulled it off more and would gain more approval from the audience.

"Don't worry, we'll be here." Nico and I left as she went into the grand and ornate Viridian Contest Hall to check out the Gym. When we became alone, I suddenly felt the awkwardness from last night come crashing down us again. Really, it was just on me.

"I hope Oak could have found a replacement," Nico said, breaking the deafening silence as we walked through the crowded streets of one of the biggest cities in Kanto. Despite the copious amounts of noise coming from all around us in the bustling city, the world seemed silent, save him and me.

I nodded. "Me too, even though it's not likely. Maybe he'll find one that stays for more than a year?" I said jokingly.

He laughed once. "I don't think even Professor Oak could do that!"

We got to the Viridian Gym much quicker than I thought we would. I was disappointed when I saw the windows blacked out and a sign hung on the door. It looked dilapidated and abandoned, almost ready to fall over. There definitely wasn't going to be anyone home.

"That's a bummer," Nico thought aloud.

"Tell me about it." I went up to the door to read the sign. "'_Attention Trainers seeking to challenge the Viridian Gym: Professor Oak is currently looking for a new Gym Leader. There will be one that will take the position within one month's time. We apologize for the inconvenience, and wish you happy battling. Signed, the Indigo League,'_" I read out loud.

"That sucks!" an unfamiliar voice said. We turned to see a boy reading the same sign. He was shorter and stockier, with deeply tanned olive skin and russet-brown hair. His eyes were strikingly green and scanned the sign again in disappointment. "That's such a joke, you know?" He turned to Nico and I. I'm not going to lie: he was insanely attractive in a very mature way. Nowhere near Nico, however, but he was up there.

"Seriously. You'd think the Pokemon League would be able to get even an Elite Four over here temporarily to hand out the badge. Oh! I'm sorry, I'm Tyndal." He extended his hand, and we both shook.

"Terran, good to meet you, man."

"Nico," Nico added bashfully.

"So where are you guys from? I'm guessing you're companions?"

"Yeah, we are. I'm from Vermillion, and he's from Fuchsia. You?"

"Me and my friend, Shannon, are from Cinnabar Island. She's entering the Pokemon Contest today."

"Really? My sister is, too, Taylor."

"That's cool! Maybe they'll go against each other?"

"Maybe."

Tyndal glanced at his watch, a Poketch 2.0. "We could walk over there together, then. It's going to start soon."

"Yeah, good idea. Taylor would _kill_ us if we were late!"

"I don't even want to think about what Shannon would do if I missed it…" He visibly shivered.

We talked some more on our way to the Contest Hall. Even Nico said a couple words here and there. Overall, Tyndal was a pretty cool guy, and he gave me a fresh look at Trainers after the Michelle incident before. When we got to the lobby, Coordinators filled almost every corner, prepping their Pokemon to make sure they looked their best.

"Looks like we just made it," Tyndal said. "I'm going to go find Shannon before she goes on Kanto's Most Wanted."

"Cool, we'll save a seat in the audience for you," I offered.

"Really? Thanks so much! See ya!" Just as he was leaving, Taylor approached us.

"There you guys are!" She smoothed out the wrinkles on her dress, and straightened the bow she tied around Squirtle's neck. "What took you so long?"

"I think we made a new friend," I answered simply.

"That's wonderful. Now, can one of you stand over there, somewhere?" she demanded.

"What? Why?"

"I'll do it," Nico volunteered, taking several steps away from Taylor.

"Really? Thanks so much, Nico!" Taylor gushed. "I'm glad _somebody_'s nice," she directed at me. I rolled my eyes. "Okay, Squirtle, Water Gun!"

"Wait, what?" Before Nico could react, Squirtle had already fired the attack. A long stream of water shot out of her mouth, just grazing the top of Nico's hair and going outside the door, narrowly avoiding several passersby. Taylor smiled in pride.

"Perfect! Her aim's getting a lot better!"

"Squirtle! Squirt!" Squirtle cheered excitedly.

"_All Coordinators please report to the backstage area now. The Viridian Pokemon Contest will commence in twenty minutes_."

"Guess I'd better go!" Taylor picked up Squirtle and followed the crowd of other Coordinators to the back rooms. "I'll see you guys when this is over!"

"Break a leg! And maybe an arm, while you're at it!"

* * *

Nico and I were led with the rest of the audience into a huge stadium that seemed too big to be contained in the Contest Hall. Rows upon rows of seats circled the stage and gradually filled with people. A big scoreboard hung over the stage that would show the Coordinators' status throughout the Contest. In front of the stage was the judges' table with three empty seats. The whole setup was really incredible. Nico and I took seats as close to the stage as we could get, saving one for Tyndal.

"I hope he turns up soon," I said to Nico. "This is going to start pretty soon." He nodded. Slowly, the lights began to dim, but people continued to fill the seats, almost packing the stadium full. The lights soon went out, covering the audience in darkness, but leaving the stage and judges' table lit. Right after, Tyndal came running down the aisle, stopping at our row.

"Sorry I'm late guys!" he apologized in a harsh whisper. "Shannon needed me to help her practice with her Cleffa…" He shook melodramatically. "Never doing that again!"

"No problem, man." I gestured to his seat.

"Thanks."

Someone above us gave a stern 'Sh!' and we went quiet. From behind the curtains, someone walked onto the stage. She was a tall, young, and very beautiful woman, in her late twenties. Her skin glowed in the spotlight, and just the sight of her made the audience erupt in applause. She waved like a pageant queen and flipped her shimmering blonde hair over her shoulder.

She produced a microphone and began speaking. "Hello, everyone, and welcome to the first Pokemon Contest of Viridian City this Contest season!" The audience cheered loudly, even myself giving a couple claps. "I'll be your announcer for the day, Melissa Chester. But I'm sure most of you already knew that," she added with a wink. Several cat calls sounded from the males in the audience.

"But enough about me," she continued. "Let's introduce your judges! First, we have the lovely and caring Nurse Joy from our very city of Viridian!" The familiar pink-haired nurse entered coyly and took her seat on the left judge's seat. "Next we have Mr. Enrique Contesta, the head of the Kanto Pokemon Contest League!" A middle-aged Hispanic man smiled and waved as he sat in the middle judges' seat. "Last but not least, we have a very special guest judge joining us today! She's a former Top Coordinator and is now working as an Aide for Professor Oak!"

Nico and I looked at each other with saucers for eyes. It couldn't be… "Let's give a warm welcome to Blaire Murdock!" Blaire entered like Blaire does: waving spastically, shouting thank-you's, and smiling like a kid on Christmas.

"No way…" I said incredulously.

"Do you know her?" Tyndal asked.

"A little, yeah," I said quietly.

"And now, let's welcome our competing Coordinators!" The heavy curtain raised, revealing about twenty Coordinators, all holding their Pokemon in their arms, including Veronica, Adam, and Taylor, who seemed to be feeling the same I was about Blaire being a judge. The crowd cheered for the contestants, thought not nearly as loud as they did for Melissa, as expected.

"We'll start off the Contest with each Coordinator performing three appeals for our judges," Melissa explained. "They will then each assign a score from one to ten, and the eight Coordinators with the highest total scores will go on to the next round! Let's introduce our first Coordinator, Veronica Bucksworth and her Oddish, Olivia!"

All the other Coordinators went behind stage except Veronica. She stood confidently in the center of the stage, basking in every gaze that was now fixed on her. She let Olivia onto the floor then stepped back.

"Whenever you're ready, sweetie," Mr. Contesta encouraged from the judges' table.

"I am," she replied briskly. "All right, Olivia, let's start off with Sweet Scent!"

"Odd!" trilled the Grass-type. Olivia emitted a strange pink cloud from her body that rose high into the air, dazzling in the stage lights. It then fell peacefully over the audience and judges, bringing everyone into a dreamy state. I was tempted to fall asleep right there.

The audience clapped, as did the judges, and especially Blaire. If she started to like Veronica… I might have to disown her as my sister. "Now, Olivia, use Razor Leaf, then Absorb!"

Olivia shot several sharp leaves over the audience like boomerangs. That alone was impressive, but then, her body started glowing bright green, as did all the leaves. They flew gently back to the stage, becoming a part of Olivia's body again. The crowd erupted again.

"To finish it off, jump up, then use Whirlwind!" The Oddish obliged, jumping several feet in the air, then whipping violent, yet beautiful winds around her. More than a few hairdos were messed up, but overall, it was an impressive appeal. As much as I hate to admit it―and I mean _really_ hate―Veronica was actually a pretty decent Coordinator.

The crowd roared loudly. "And now," Melissa silenced, "we'll hear from our judges and receive Veronica's scores. First, Mr. Contesta."

"Well, I think it's obvious you are a very talented Coordinator, especially this being your first season. We can expect great things from you as you continue your journey." He reached under the table and produced a paddle, displaying a large number eight.

"That's an eight from Mr. Contesta for Veronica! Now, Nurse Joy."

"I'm still dazed from that Sweet Scent! You and your Pokemon seem to have a very good, respectful relationship, and that will take you far." She smiled as she gave a very generous nine.

"And finally, let's go to Blaire."

"Wow! Just…wow! You, little missy, are quite the little starlet, aren't you? Yep, you're definitely a force to be reckoned with. All you other Coordinators―watch out!" She began cheering again as she held up a nine.

"Wow! For her first Contest, Veronica Bucksworth is ending the first round with a total score of 26! That's a steep score to beat!"

I gave Nico a desperate look. "Hopefully Taylor can pull this through."

"Don't worry, she'll do fine." He sounded just as unsure as me, but it was comforting just because he was saying it.

The next Coordinator was Shannon Barnes, Tyndal's companion that he cheered vigorously for. She was heavyset, but still cute and moved very gracefully. Her alabaster skin and ebony hair contrasted in the light, both blindingly bright. Her Cleffa performed fairly well, not even close to the caliber of Veronica, but still enough to earn two sevens from Nurse Joy and Mr. Contesta and an eight from Blaire.

"Good job, Shan!" Tyndal called. She gave a gleeful wave as she exited the stage.

The next several Coordinators were boring, letting some audience members―myself included―catch up on some sleep. So far, Veronica, Shannon, and one other boy named Charlie-something were the only ones to get sevens or higher on the judges' scores. When it was Taylor's turn, however, I was wide awake.

"Next up, we have Taylor Murdock, hailing from Vermillion City, and the younger sister of our lovely judge, Blaire!" Melissa announced. Taylor shyly entered the stage with Blaire cheering profusely for her.

"Wait, isn't that your sister? Taylor?" Tyndal asked me. I nodded. "So that means you're Blaire's brother, too?" I nodded again. "You're one of the Murdocks' kids? Dude! That's awesome!"

I sheepishly said, "It has its perks."

"That's so cool! I know a celebrity!"

We received another harsh shush as Taylor began her first appeal. "All right, Squirtle, we got this! Use Bubble on the lights!"

"Squirtle!" She did as she was told and fired the steady stream of iridescent water bubbles toward the large stage lights. The light reflected inside the bubbles, making big rays of light shine in every direction. Several 'Oohs' and 'Aahs' echoed through the Contest Hall.

"Now, use Withdraw, then Tail Whip!" Squirtle disappeared into her shell, all except her tail. She whipped her tail in small circles, growing quickly in speed. Soon enough, her shell was spinning on it's end. "Now, jump back to your feet!" Like a trained gymnast, Squirtle jumped high into the air, sticking out her limbs and head again, then landing perfectly on the stage.

"Now for the grand finale," Taylor muttered. "Aim Water Gun at the curves on the ceiling, then use it in quick bursts, just like we practiced!" The flow of water powerfully hit the sloping ceiling, creating a waterfall in midair that sprinkled the audience in a fine mist.

Taylor was met with almost a grand enough applause to rival Melissa's. Almost. "And that's an impressive set of appeals from Taylor Murdock. Looks like she takes after her older sister in that department," Melissa joked. "Now, let's get her scores. Mr. Contesta?"

"I must say, there's been quite a lot of new talent I've seen in this Contest, and you are certainly no exception. I'll give you an eight, as long as you promise you'll keep Coordinating." Taylor nodded her answer, too ecstatic to talk.

"I completely agree," Nurse Joy stated. "I can see a lot of potential in you. While there's not as much confidence―maybe just because this is your first―that can be easily overcome!" She gladly held up a nine, so far tying her with Veronica. Now her ope rested in Blaire's hands.

"Little sister! It's so good to actually see you on stage! And your outfit is so cute, and your Pokemon is so precious! There's some definite work and fine-tuning you can put into your appeals, but for the level you're at, it's flawless! So I gladly―and impartially, as a judge, not your sister, of course―give you a big, whopping ten!"

"Wow! The first ten of the Contest goes to Taylor Murdock! Beautiful! That leaves her with a grand total of twenty-seven, putting her in first place!"

"Wow, she's really good, man," Tyndal whispered to me.

"She is. I'm kinda surprised."

The Contest continued to drag on. Adam appealed, gaining a twenty-five. He was the only other one I was rooting for, so was able to retrieve some more of the sleep I didn't catch last night. From what Nico later told me, the appeals actually got better, but Veronica and Taylor still remained at the top with only one person beating their scores.

"Thank you for those…interesting appeals, James!" Melissa quickly shooed the less-than-talented boy off the stage. "And now, we'll announce the top eight moving on to the second round!" Melissa turned to look at the scoreboard that showed eight boxes quickly flashing the profile pictures of every Coordinator. For many people, this would be a nail-biting moment, but since Taylor received the second-highest score, I wasn't worried.

"I hope your sister makes it," Tyndal wished for me.

"Thanks, man. I'm sure her and Shannon both are in."

One by one, the boxes were filled with the pictures of the victorious Coordinators. "Looks like we have our finalists, folks! Moving on to the second round we have Veronica Bucksworth, Shannon Barnes, Aaron Crowley, Charlie Barrow, Morgan Damon, Taylor Murdock, Justin Freeman, and Adam Salas!"

The eight finalists stepped forward from the crowd to vigorous cheers from everyone in the audience. I saw a brief exchange of glances between Blaire and Taylor, and a scowl from Veronica. This second round would be interesting, that's for sure. I felt bad for the dozen or so who were eliminated in the first round, but honestly, they weren't that good.

* * *

**As I'm sure most of you have already noticed, I've taken a lot of creative liberty with how a lot of things are run. But hey, this is FanFiction, so in the immortal words of Eric Cartman, "Whatever, I do what I want!" With that, I'll leave till tomorrow! Reviews always make me happy, just in case you were wondering... ;)**


	9. The Viridian Contest: Part 2

"It's now time for round two!" Melissa announced after a short intermission between rounds. "In this round, there will be four battles between each of the finalists. The winner from each battle will move on until one winner remains, and they will receive the Viridian Contest Ribbon! The winner of the battle will not necessarily be the one who makes their opponent faint first, but who can do it in the most appealing manner."

The scoreboard changed again, this time randomly pairing up the Coordinators in a bracket. Taylor's first battle was against Justin Freeman, a dark skinned boy with glasses who was the only one to get a higher score than her with his Meowth. That was just great.

"Our first battle for today is between Adam Salas of Celadon City and Morgan Damon, joining us all the way from Sunnyshore City in Sinnoh!" Morgan seemed pleasant enough during her appeal―or from what I remembered of it. She was dressed in clothing that could rival Veronica's, but she didn't carry herself nearly as high.

I sat up for this battle, as did Nico. We both obviously wanted Adam to be successful. Who wouldn't? The guy deserved a medal for putting up with Veronica as a companion and for claiming her as his 'best friend.'

"Maybe he'll end up knocking Veronica out?" Nico whispered.

"We can only hope," I replied, seeing Veronica was battling Charles Barrow and would battle Adam if they both won.

Adam and Morgan stepped to the center of the stage and shook hands amicably. "Good luck!" they said at the same time before going to opposite sides of the stage. Adam sent out his Phanpy, who had performed very well, against Morgan's Piplup, who seemed to be lacking throughout the Contest, but still managed to advance to the next round.

"All right, Piplup, start off with Water Gun!" Morgan commanded.

Piplup chirped and fired the attack directly at the Ground-type. Adam smirked Not in a malicious way, but knowingly. "Phanpy, use Harden, then Rollout!" The small elephant's body glowed brightly once, then pulled his body into a tight ball and began rolling around the stage, his speed exponentially increasing with every lap, narrowly missing every spray of water.

"Nice move," Morgan complimented.

"Thanks!"

"Now, Piplup, try Pound!" Piplup ran as fast as it could toward Adam's still-tolling Phanpy.

"All right, Phanpy, stop!" Phanpy stopped in mid spin, but remained in a ball. Piplup took the opportunity and hit him as hard as it could with its stubby arm. The blow ended up doing more damage to Piplup than to Phanpy. Piplup cried and reeled backwards. "Now, use Headbutt!"

"Phan!" Phanpy trumpeted as it went back on all fours and charged towards the Water-type. The hit landed square on its chest. Piplup flew through the air, then landed at Morgan's feet.

"Piplup!" she cried, kneeling down to her Pokemon. Piplup was definitely knocked out.

"Piplup is unable to battle!" Melissa announced. "Adam is moving on to the next round!" On the scoreboard, Morgan's picture faded, and Adam's moved up to the next spot on the bracket.

Ever the gentlemen, he rushed over to Morgan and told her, "Good job. There's always next time." They both smiled at each other as she returned the Piplup to its ball.

"Thanks. Hopefully I'll see you next time."

The rest of the battles went by uneventfully. Veronica wiped the floor with Charlie, Shannon cleaned out Aaron Crowley, and even Taylor beat Justin fairly easily, considering his appeals were the best. The next round of battles went by fairly quickly, also. When Adam and Veronica faced each other, he seemed hesitant, but she was willing to cut his throat for the Ribbon.

"Olivia, use Stun Spore!"

"Try to dodge, Phanpy!" Adam's attempts didn't work. The yellow pollen coated Phanpy and he effectively ceased movement. "Come on, try to use Tackle!" Phanpy gave an honest effort to move, but the paralysis was too severe.

"Finish with Absorb!" The Oddish complied and did a large amount of damage to what little health Phanpy retained.

"That's going to be super effective, poor guy," Nico muttered.

"Phanpy is unable to battle!" Melissa sang. "Veronica Bucksworth will be moving on to the final battle! I'm sorry, Adam, but your Contest experience ends here."

He returned Phanpy with a smile and waved goodbye to a loud audience applause as his picture turned to black and Veronica's moved up one more level

Tyndal saw the obvious disdain on mine and Nico's faces. "I take it you guys didn't like her?"

"It's not that we don't like her…" Nico began.

"We hate her," I interrupted.

The next battle would be very emotional for all of us. Shannon versus Taylor. None of us cheered too loud for one over the other, for fear of offending somebody. In retrospect, Nico and I probably could have gotten away with a couple "Come on, Taylor!"s, but we didn't chance it, and Tyndal did the same.

When Taylor and Shannon took the stage, I noticed Taylor had undressed and was back in her normal traveling clothes. She looked much more comfortable now. Whatever helps, you might as well do it. Shannon had also pulled her carefully styled black locks back into a messy ponytail, a sign that Tyndal informed us to mean that she meant business.

Before Melissa could even announce their names, the battle had already begun. "Cleffa, use Blizzard!" A Cleffa knowing Blizzard? Shannon must be _some_ Coordinator… The icy winds whipped around the stage, freezing the judges and the people in the first couple rows. I saw Blaire pull out a scarf and a hat she bought specifically for her trip to Snowpoint City. At least she was prepared.

Taylor thought on her feet, like always. "Squirtle, use Withdraw!" Squirtle tucked itself into its shell to deflect the snow. "Now… Let's try Water Gun, right through the snow!" That raised a couple eyebrows, including my own. Squirtle barely poked her head out of her shell and fired a small jet of water through the chilled air. In midair, the water turned to ice and came crashing down on the small, pink Normal-type. Shards of ice glittered over the stage after the impact.

"That was so cool!" Blaire exclaimed. "Get it? Cool? Ice?"

"Yes, dear," Mr. Contesta said calmly, albeit slightly annoyed, "we get it."

"Shake it off, Cleffa!" Shannon encouraged. Cleffa feebly stood up, looking more determined than ever, but severely weakened. "Good job! Use Sing!" Immediately, everybody in the audience, including Melissa, the judges, and Taylor and Shannon themselves closed their ears.

"Squirtle, cover your ears, quick!" Cleffa's soft voice filled the stadium with its alluring and hypnotic song. Even with my ears firmly covered, just the slightest sound me drowsy. Squirtle hadn't moved fast enough and was significantly incapacitated.

Taylor gritted her teeth in thought. Suddenly, her eyes brightened as she got an idea. "Squirtle, use Tackle to push Cleffa off the stage!" Squirtle moved sluggishly to complete the task. Cleffa was in a completely different state, ignoring the whole rest of the world as she sang center stage, a prima donna in training.

"Cleffa, move out of the way!" Shannon ordered. Cleffa ignored the order, too busy enjoying the spotlight. With her last few movements, Squirtle forcibly knocked Cleffa off the stage, making her faint from the impact. Right when she hit the floor, Squirtle fell sound asleep on the stage

"Both Squirtle and Cleffa are unable to battle! Looks like we'll have to go to the judges to decide the winner."

The three judges deliberated for a short while as Taylor and Shannon both returned their exhausted Pokemon. Mr. Contesta stood from his seat. "It was a very tough decision, and both of you young ladies carried yourselves very well throughout the competition." He paused to smile at both the Coordinators. "Shannon, you are obviously a very strong Coordinator and Trainer. However, Taylor, with your quick thinking and inventive battle techniques, we declare this battle a victory in your favor."

"Yay! Go Tay!" Blaire cheered, receiving a couple glares from Melissa and some audience members.

"Thank you," Taylor said humbly to the judges. She shook Shannon's hand, but Shannon turned the motion into a brief hug. "Great battle. You're really good."

"Thanks, hun," she replied. "You're not too shabby yourself."

"Sorry, bro," I said to Tyndal.

He shook his head. "You don't have to apologize to me. She won fair and square. Shannon might need some consoling, though. Probably in the form of ice cream."

Nico laughed. "She certainly knows how to cope."

"And now, ladies and gentlemen," Melissa announced, her voice an octave lower, trying to heighten the drama, "we will move on to the final match of the Viridian Pokemon Contest between Veronica Bucksworth and Taylor Murdock." Taylor remained on the stage and waved coyly while Veronica walked on stage with an elaborate curtsy. "We've seen both of these young women fight fiercely for this position, and I don't think anyone will disagree when I say they definitely deserve to be here."

The crowd must have agreed, because I'm pretty sure my hearing was partially impaired from their cheering as Taylor and Veronica took their positions on opposite sides of the stage. Veronica looked like she always did―superior, condescending, and arrogant, but this time with an added edge of desire. Taylor's determination never faded, and even though she had done very well in this Contest, her head hadn't grown any bigger. I was very proud to call her my sister.

"This battle will determine the winner who will receive the Viridian Ribbon, having one fifth of what is necessary to enter the Kanto Grand Festival at the Indigo Plateau," Melissa explained as Taylor and Veronica sent out their Pokemon. Olivia looked ready for anything. After all, she hadn't taken any blows the entire Contest. Squirtle, on the other hand, still seemed a little drowsy and had several bumps and bruises, but I knew Taylor would use every bit of Squirtle's energy to its best potential. This battle would be interesting, to say the least.

"Rough," Tyndal commented. "Water-type against a Grass-type that is still at perfect health? Hopefully she can pull a Buneary out of a hat."

"Knowing Taylor, she will," Nico answered.

"Judges, are you ready?" Melissa asked. All three nodded. "Audience?" They roared. "Coordinators?"

Taylor simply shook her head yes while Veronica loudly stated, "Yes, I am!"

"Then let's get this battle underway!" Melissa gracefully jumped off the stage to watch the battle from beside the judges' table.

Veronica didn't waste any time. "Olivia, be a dear and use Sweet Scent?" Just like during her appeal, the Oddish whipped up a dainty pink cloud of a pleasant aroma that rose high into the air, then dropped right onto Squirtle.

"That might be good for Taylor," Nico whispered.

"How?" Squirtle began wobbling on her feet with a goofy smile on her face as the scent relaxed her muscles and made her much more lethargic.

"She already used that move, so the judges might be bored of it. As long as Taylor keeps it original, even if Squirtle faints, she can still win."

I'm no Contest expert, but that seemed like good enough logic for me. "Squirtle, just stay standing!" Squirtle gave her Coordinator a desperate look. I could see Taylor mouth, 'Trust me,' and Squirtle obeyed.

"You're just going to stand there?" Veronica scoffed. "Hm. No matter. Olivia, Razor Leaf!"

Taylor smirked as her plan came together. "I was hoping you'd do that. Squirtle, use Withdraw, then spin when the leaves are coming!" Before Veronica could call off the attack, Olivia had already launched the razor-edged foliage at Squirtle. Like Taylor ordered, Squirtle retreated into her shell and began to spin violently, yet daintily, if that's even possible. When the leaves hit the hard shell, they bounced back, redirected squarely at Olivia.

"Olivia, dodge!" The Oddish was too slow and was bombarded with her own attack. Though it didn't do much damage, there were significant marks on her small blue body.

Nico smiled widely. "Like I said. Veronica will keep reusing appeals, and Taylor will keep it original."

"Looks like your sis has this in the bag!" Tyndal interjected.

"I sure hope so!"

Veronica breathed in deeply. "It's not over yet! Olivia, jump up and use Pound on one of the boards on the stage!" Everyone's faces looked puzzled. Taylor's brow furrowed as she tried to predict Veronica's move. Oddish cried loudly as her small body leaped up high, then came back down with great force on the wooden stage.

Veronica let out a victorious giggle as her plan came to fruition. One of the boards cracked and came loose, cleanly sweeping upwards. Squirtle, unfortunately, was on the other end of the board and was sent flying through the air. "Squiiiiiiiiirt!"

"That Oddish is on steroids or something!" I exclaimed, not able to control my mouth at that moment. Several eyes turned to glare at me, including Veronica's. I slunk back into my seat.

"Squirtle!" Taylor cried as the tiny turtle Pokemon flew through the air. "Uh… Aim Water Gun as hard as you can at the ground, hurry!" A powerful blast of water from Squirtle's mouth kept her from hitting the ground. The spray of water swept across the stage, drenching Olivia and knocking her into the now gaping hole in the stage, before allowing Squirtle to land safely.

"Olivia!" Veronica called out. Olivia struggled to jump out of the hole, but was sufficiently stuck between the ground and the stage.

"Dish! Oddish! Odd!" she whined, relentlessly wriggling to break free.

Taylor took the golden opportunity. "Squirtle! Tackle!" Squirtle's energy was depleted almost to zero at this point―which would make going to sleep tonight much easier―but gave her last bit of strength to the finishing move.

Olivia took the force of the Tackle attack head on―literally. She was knocked loose from underneath the stage, but flew into the wall, then collapsed in a defeated pile on the ground. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that she had fainted. Melissa trotted over to the Pokemon and examined her closely.

"Oddish is unable to battle! But before we call the Contest to a close, let's go to our judges to decide a winner."

The three judges whispered among themselves for a short while, but it felt like an eternity. Mr. Contesta cleared his throat and stood when they had reached a decision. "As previously stated, both of you are very capable and talented Coordinators. However, one must come out on top. Veronica, the sheer power your Pokemon possesses outshines any of the others in attendance. You also have very beautiful and appealing moves. A _few_ moves, that is, and after a few rounds, they get extremely boring. And Taylor, your resourcefulness has saved you now multiple times. However, your moves have lacked a degree of grace and refinement."

He took a deep breath before giving the final words on the Contest. "We have collectively decided to name…" Everyone inhaled sharply. Taylor bit her lip while Veronica continued to smile knowingly, already having won in her head. "Taylor Murdock of Vermillion City as the winner of the Viridian Pokemon Contest, and present her with this Ribbon showing her accomplishment!"

The crowd roared louder than ever, myself, Nico, and even Tyndal included. "Whoo! Go Tay! I knew you could do it!" Taylor incredulously walked forward to the judges' table. Her jaw hit her chest as Mr. Contesta presented her with a brilliant green ribbon.

"You've earned it, Miss." He gave a slight bow as Taylor gladly took her first ribbon, but not after thanking everyone loudly and profusely.

Blaire was beside herself and jumped over the table to give Taylor a huge hug. "Oh, my little sister! I'm so proud of you!"

"She's really affectionate, isn't she?" Tyndal observed.

"Wait till you meet her in person."

* * *

After the contest ended, most of the contestants and their friends and families who came to support them were gathered in the lobby. Taylor, Blaire, Nico, and myself were in a corner all by ourselves as Blaire gushed over Taylor's first win. Taylor, while still absolutely ecstatic―more about defeating Veronica than actually winning―Blaire was coming close to ruining the mood.

"And the way you deflected her Razor Leaf? Oh, that was fantastic! I'd hate to be the one that has to pay to fix the stage, though. But who cares! You won! We _have_ to call Mom and Dad right away! They'll be so proud! _I'm_ so proud! And I swear I wasn't a biased judge! You really won! Like, for real!"

"Blaire, I think you can calm it down a bit," I suggested with urgency.

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that."

"We're still really glad for you, Taylor," I continued. "I know I don't say this a lot, but you did really good and I'm really proud of you."

"Aw," she sighed emphatically, "I love you, too, bubba! But next time, victory better be for you when you get the Pewter City Gym Badge. And Nico too, of course."

"Thanks, Taylor." Nico blushed slightly. I know I've said this a million time before, but Arceus, he was cute…

"You're going to Pewter City next? Tell Brock I said hi!" Blaire exclaimed. "Wow, it's been forever since we've caught up…"

I sighed. "Is there anyone in any Pokemon League that you _don't_ know?"

Blaire thought for a moment. "Nope, I pretty much know everyone. There are a couple people that I'm not quite fond of, though."

"Who?" Taylor asked. Blaire didn't dislike a lot of people. Up until now, I didn't think she disliked_ anyone_.

"Sabrina from Saffron Gym is kind of weird, and not in the good way. Fantina in Hearthome City in Sinnoh and I competed against each other in a Contest once, and she was sorta rude. Oh! Falkner over in Johto called me 'peppy' once. I mean seriously! Me? Peppy? I don't see it."

"Yep, that's a real mystery."

"Oh! That reminds me." Blaire started digging through her bag and produced three small cases, just like the one Adam had earlier. "Mom and Dad wanted me to give these to you guys as presents after you all got your first Ribbons and Badges. I figured I'd just give them all to you now."

"Wow! Thanks so much, Blaire!" Taylor took hers swiftly and opened it. Hers was ocean blue, and the inside was lined with sky blue velvet with five neat little pockets to place her Ribbons. She placed the green Viridian Ribbon in and admired it from afar. "Wow, that looks so cool!"

I took a forest green case, this one with eight places adjusted to the specific shape of each of the eight Badges of Kanto. That left a fiery red one remaining in Blaire's hands.

"Who's that one for?" Nico asked.

"You, silly!" Blaire forcefully gave him the case.

"Really? I―I don't think I can take it, I'm sorry. It just wouldn't feel right."

"Come on, Nico!" I playfully jabbed him in the ribs. "You can't refuse a gift."

"Exactly!" Blaire agreed. "Don't worry about it. If you're going to be traveling with these two for a while, you need to do it right."

"I guess you're right. Thanks, Blaire. Thanks to your parents, too, guys."

"No problem!" Blaire's Poketch went off with several beeps. She glanced at it then frowned. "Professor Oak needs me back at the lab ASAP. I guess I'll see you guys later!" Just as quick as she could talk, Blaire had said goodbye and given goodbye hugs and kisses to all three of us and was out the door.

"Hey, what's up, guys?" Tyndal's voice sounded from behind us. Tyndal and Shannon both stood there.

"Oh, hey, man! Taylor, this is Tyndal," I quickly introduced.

"Great to meet you finally. This is my companion, Shannon, but I think you already know each other."

Shannon laughed. "Yeah, we might have met once before."

Taylor smiled amicably. "Yeah, I think we did, too. But in all seriousness, you did really great."

"Not as great as you," Shannon replied. "You're the one with the Ribbon."

"I guess that's true."

"Anyway, we just wanted to say bye before we left," Tyndal explained.

"And say congratulations," Shannon added.

Taylor thanked her, then asked, "So where are you guys going next?"

"We're going back to Cinnabar Island for a little bit," Tyndal answered. "The Contest scene over there is a lot less tough than over here, and Blaine's Gym is Fire-typed, so that'll give me and my Octillery a good, easy springboard into the Gyms."

"That sounds like a good plan," I said. "We're going to Pewter, so hopefully we'll see each other again?"

"Yeah, for sure!" Tyndal agreed excitedly.

"Maybe even at the Indigo Plateau?" Shannon added with a shrug.

"We'll be there," Taylor responded.

"Well, see you then!" We waved goodbye to our new friends as they left the Contest Hall for Cinnabar Island.

"It's nice to see you made a friend who wasn't a complete jerk," Taylor commented.

"You know, I really am, too."

Nico, who had been relatively silent, spoke up. "Guys, it's starting to get late. Do we want to go to the Pokemon Center or try to make it to Pewter?"

"Pewter's gotta be at least a day away," Taylor said. "I don't want to get halfway into the Viridian Forest then have to camp outside."

"She's right," Nico said after checking the map. "Terran?"

"I guess the Pokemon Center it is."

* * *

"You're kidding me!"

"This is not happening!"

"How could they do that?"

When we had walked out of the Contest Hall, nighttime had already settled down hard. Even though the Contest started at noon, it took up a lot of time, plus all the meeting and congratulating afterwards. Right as we got to the door to the Pokemon Center, Nurse Joy placed a sign on the door reading, 'NO VACANCY.'

"Well," I said in exasperation, "looks like camping out is going to be our choice for the night."

* * *

**Taylor got her first Contest Ribbon! :D Yay! Just four more! This is the last chapter I have of everything that's pre-written, so expect updates coming much slower from now on. Until next time, please review! **


	10. NOTICE!

This is a special notice to all my readers, and any others who happened to stumble upon this story:

I've reached a point where there's going to be lots of Trainer battles and lots of Contests. Because of this, I'm going to need LOTS of one-time characters, that I lack the creativity to make. I already have the entire top-24 for the Indigo League and Indigo Grand Festival written out, but there's going to be lots of small characters on the way there. So if you want to become a part of this story, all you have to do is fill out the form below (you can do it as many times as you want, the more the merrier ;)) and you can expect a cameo of your character in the story. I'll be sure to give you all credit for letting me use your character.

**Character Form**

Name: (First and last, nickname if applicable)

Age: (Preferably in the 15-19 age range)

Job: (Trainer, Coordinator, or anything else you think my characters may run into)

Hometown: (Fictional places and places from different regions are allowed)

Description: (Doesn't have to be very detailed, just enough to get a feeling of what they look like)

Personality: (Be sure to include how they interact with people and Pokemon)

Brief Character History:

**Party Pokemon **(Don't make these too overpowered. Make them believable, (ie, they're not going to have legendaries, or a fully-evolved Dragon-type))

(Use the form below for each Pokemon. Remember Coordinators have a maximum of four, and Trainers have six.)

Species:

Nickname: (if applicable)

Moveset: (more than four moves are okay, but again, make them believable)

Personality:

This would really mean a lot to me if you did this. :) Thanks so much, even if you don't, just for reading! You can expect a real chapter for later today.


	11. The Viridian Forest

The moon was hanging high in the sky, a giant bath of light coming down from the dark sky above. Living in a big city like Vermillion, you could never see as many stars as we were looking at right now. The entire blanket of the sky was covered in the small flecks of light.

We left Viridian City and were now well on our way through Route 2, leading through the Viridian Forest then on to Pewter City. We decided we should try to get as far as we could in one night before making camp, so we could get to Pewter as soon as possible.

I would have preferred to have just found a cheap motel in Viridian, but Nico and Taylor both had their hearts set on camping out under the stars. Now that we were actually out here, though, I couldn't blame them.

"This is really beautiful, guys," I breathed in a whisper, trying to preserve the serenity of the scene. A gentle breeze flowed through the sparse trees and patches of tall grass, bringing a refreshing chill. Nico simply nodded, his mouth curled into a simple smile as he gazed upwards.

Taylor looked down at her watch. "It's about 11 o'clock now. Should we stop and make camp here?" I examined the area where we stopped. There was a small alcove in a thick pocket of trees that would make a good campsite. Even in the dark of the night, I could see an area where the sparse trees became even denser, with only one dirt road leading into the Viridian Forest.

"Unless we want to be stung by a Weedle while we sleep in the forest," I began as I shucked off my bag and headed to the clearing, "this looks like a pretty good place to stop."

"Definitely," Nico agreed. "There's no telling what would happen if we stayed in the Viridian Forest."

"So it's decided." Taylor didn't hesitate pulling out a sleeping bag from her backpack and laying it on the soft grass. She looked at the setup one more time with a scrunched face and said, "Remind me to buy a tent once we're in Pewter."

"Noted." I laid mine next to hers. "Did not think this one through, that's for sure."

Nico laughed and followed Taylor's and my example. "It doesn't really matter. It's a beautiful night."

"Mm-hmm." Even though Nico and I were sleeping next to each other again, I wasn't nearly as nervous this time. Probably because we were in different sleeping bags, and weren't touching each other.

"Good night, everyone," I said as I got comfortable in the warm cloth.

"Night," Taylor yawned, before falling sound asleep.

"Good night, Terr," Nico said. The moon provided just enough light for me to see the last glints of his blue eyes before he closed them. I turned onto my side just to watch him sleep. I knew this was the on the top of the list of the creepiest things I've done, but I couldn't help myself. My eyes didn't want to tear away from this example of the perfect beauty nature could create.

The way his chest moved in a slow, steady rhythm with his breath, how his hair fell over his forehead, and the slight grin that tugged on his mouth all made my heart ache in the solitary confinement that was my chest. Perverted thoughts began to fill my head. Thoughts of wanting to lean over and gently kiss his cheek, or maybe even a small peck on his supple, full lips.

Before I allowed my animalistic desires to happen, I quickly turned to face the other side, and tried to catch up on some much needed sleep.

* * *

When I woke up the next morning, I felt more refreshed than I ever had in recent memory. The sun was high in the sky again, warming everything it touched. If I wouldn't have been in such a compromising position, I would have enjoyed the morning a lot more. Sometime during the night, I must have rolled over towards Nico. I now had an arm wrapped around him and my body pressed as close as I could get it to his through the sleeping bags. Oops.

I jumped off as if he was on fire. Luckily, he hadn't woken up yet. Crisis averted. Then I saw Taylor's sleeping bag was empty, showing she had already been up. And she could have seen something. And maybe taken incriminating pictures. Shit.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty," Taylor said mockingly as she came back into the clearing, wearing fresh clothes and with wet hair. "How was last night?"

"Last night? Oh, yeah, it was―good, yeah. Fine." The slightest of smirks was clearly shown on her face. Did she know? She definitely saw something, but did she _know _know? "How was yours? And why is your hair wet?"

She shrugged. "Mine was okay. I found a small creek a little ways over there." She pointed in the direction.

"Oh, cool…" An awkward silence followed.

"So, are you going to go wash up or anything?" Taylor asked as she brushed out her hair.

"Oh, yeah, I will. But…" I started, but froze up.

"But what?" she responded impatiently.

"When you woke up this morning, did you see anything…odd? Like, something you wouldn't expect to happen?"

"Nope," she answered calmly. "Nothing that would have surprised me. Why?"

"Oh, nothing… I just―I just thought I―I heard something weird when I woke up, is all," I lied. She must have bought it, because she didn't press it any further. I still couldn't shake the feeling that she had seen at least _something,_ though…

Nico woke up a little bit later, and we both went to the creek to clean up. The cold water felt great as it washed away the grime and stress that had accumulated on my body. I was tempted to just dive into the water, but that would require getting undressed. And doing that while Nico was a few feet away would be impossible.

It was a fairly silent morning between us two, which could be for the best, lest I slip up and mention something about last night. Or Taylor did, which would be even more catastrophic. We went back to our makeshift campsite, had a light breakfast of some small things we had in our bags, then set off for the Viridian Forest.

Almost right as we entered the dense, verdant wall of trees, the brightness of the late morning sun disappeared, leaving us in near darkness. The thick canopy above forbade anything from entering, especially light. Suddenly, every crack of a twig became as loud as thunder, every scuffle from wild Pokemon might as well have been the sound of stampeding Rhyhorn. Overgrown areas of shrubbery filled the few spaces of the forest that weren't dominated by trees or forcefully cut through to make the dilapidated road.

"Well, this is a lovely place, don't you think?" I said rhetorically.

"Seriously," Taylor said. "I might buy a summer home here, one day."

We continued in near silence. Metapod and Kakuna hung from the high branches of the trees, their eyes staring as we passed with a silenced harshness. The occasional Weedle or Caterpie would stop in its place to look at us, then scamper up the nearest tree. Thankfully, we didn't see many strong Pokemon, like an angry Beedrill waiting for something to inject with its poison. Not exactly a pleasant thought.

I began to hear sounds coming from a little deeper into the forest. "Do you guys hear that?"

"Yeah, it sounds like a person," Nico said. We could all hear faint gasps and sighs of defeat. "But what are they doing?"

"Only one way to find out," said Taylor. We quickened our pace to a light jog until we came to a break in the road, where the path was separated by a large expanse of tall grass. In the middle of the grass was a young boy, running around wildly in a flock of Butterfree, swinging a bug catching net everywhere except where it needed to go. He was very pale and scrawny, with greasy brown hair and glasses that seemed too big for his head.

"Wah! Wah! Wah!" he cried with every swipe of the net. The Butterfree easily avoided his attempts. Some even appeared to be enjoying the boy's actions, like he was playing a game with them. He panted heavily, wiped the sweat from his brow, and went right back to his futile actions.

"Uh, hello?" I called to the boy. He jumped in fright, then fell to the ground, scaring away all the Butterfree. I cringed for the boy. Nico ran over to help the boy back to his feet. Taylor and I quickly followed.

"Are you okay?" Nico asked worriedly as he offered his hand.

"Yes, I'm fine!" he spat in his nasally voice. He ignored Nico's gesture and stood on his own with a severe pout. "You scared all of those Butterfree! I was just about to catch one, too! But then you had to go and ruin it."

"Sorry?" Nico apologized dubiously. "We didn't mean to―."

"Sure you didn't," he scoffed, brushing off some of the dirt from his shirt. "I'm not going to waste any more time with you. I have better things to do!" He turned around in a huff and started marching deeper into the forest.

"Well, that went…well," Taylor said sarcastically. She looked down and saw the boy had forgotten his net. "Should we give it back to him?"

"Should we give a Machamp steroids?" I retorted.

"Yeah, you're right." We continued on through the forest, leaving the net behind. It wasn't long before we ran into another boy, this one looking older than the last one. He also had a net, but he was actually successful in capturing a Beedrill.

"Calm down, boy," he cooed softly to the wild Pokemon. It struggled furiously to free itself from its captor, but to no avail. The boy calmly took out a Pokeball and aimed it at the Bug-type. Shockingly, after the first try, the Beedrill was caught successfully by the boy.

"That was a nice catch, man!" I complimented as we neared him.

"Heh, thanks." He minimized the ball and placed it on his belt. "Bug Pokemon are always easiest to catch. For me, at least." He looked very similar to the boy before, but he seemed stronger, more experienced, and much more adept. "I'm Doug, by the way."

"Terran, great to meet you."

"And I'm Taylor."

"Nico."

Doug smiled at us all. "So are you guys Trainers?"

"Those two are," Taylor explained. "I'm a Coordinator. How about you?"

"I'm not really anything," he explained with a shrug. "My little brother, Isaac, is trying to become a Coordinator, and he begged me to come travel with him. So here I am."

"After seeing how easily you caught that Beedrill, I'd say you'd make a pretty good Trainer," I observed.

He laughed. "Yeah, well, battling was never my thing, you know? Really, I'd be happy just studying and being with Bug-types for the rest of my life."

"Well, you seem perfect for it," Nico added. "Where's your brother now?"

"I just saw him go by here without a net. I tried to ask what was wrong… But he didn't say anything, which I kinda expected."

"Wait," Taylor interrupted. "Was he about yea high?" She indicated his height with her hand. "Glasses?"

"Yeah, that's him. Did you see him back there?"

"I guess you could say that…" Nico answered.

"Oh, I see," Doug said with a knowing wink. "Didn't make a good first impression, did he?"

"Not so much," I said honestly.

"Well, maybe the next time we see each other, he'll be a little more pleasant."

"Yeah, we can only hope!"

"Well, I'd better let you guys go. You're probably going to Pewter, right?"

"Yeah, we are."

"Well, we might meet you sooner than you think! Isaac's going to enter the Contest there tomorrow."

"Really? I didn't know there was a Contest there so soon," Taylor said, clearly excited for another chance to compete again.

"Yep. I take it you're entering?"

"I am now!" she stated proudly.

"See you in Pewter, then!"

"See ya!" we called back at him. Once we were a considerable distance away from Doug, Taylor stopped us in our tracks.

"Guys, if there's another Contest in Pewter, I need to start training. I'm sure winning in Viridian was mostly beginner's luck."

"You know, that's not a bad idea." I looked at Nico. "We should probably start training for our first gym battle, too."

"Yeah, we definitely need too." Taylor's gaze shifted from Nico and I to right behind us at a tree. She hatched a conspiratorial smile.

"Perfect," she said. Nico and I quickly got out of her way as she sent out Squirtle. On the tree, there was a solitary Caterpie, innocently munching on some leaves. Squirtle looked around, and after seeing that she was sent out for a battle, instantly became excited.

"Squirtle!" Her call alerted the Caterpie to the foreign presence in its home. It looked at us, then darted high into the tree.

"Squirtle, use Bubble on the treetop!" Squirtle obeyed after a jump of joy. The bubbles caused a small commotion in the canopy of the tree. Several flying Bug Pokemon flew out of their roosts, and a couple others sprinted down the trunk to a different hiding spot. Taylor's eyes scanned the chaos like a Pidgeot. Then she saw her prize. "Squirtle, hurry, use Tackle on that Caterpie!"

"Squirt!" Squirtle happily charged toward the tree, her agility far superior to that of the Bug-type. The same Caterpie from before was hit hard by the attack and sent flying towards Taylor. Not defeated yet, the Caterpie fired a String Shot at Squirtle, but she easily evaded it.

"Now's the time." Taylor took an empty Pokeball from her bag and threw it at the Caterpie. One shake. Two shakes. Three shakes. Caught! "Yes!" Taylor cheered loudly, frightening even more Pokemon from their homes. "I caught a Caterpie! Squirtle, return!"

Squirtle cheered just as happily as she went back insider her own ball. "I've never seen anyone get that excited over a worm," I said.

"Not just _any_ worm," Taylor spat, "but the worm that'll be a Butterfree, and the Butterfree that'll get me to the Indigo Grand Festival!"

"How do you figure?" Nico asked.

"Butterfree learn Bug-type moves." Taylor held up one finger. "They also learn Flying-, Poison-, and Psychic-type moves. All of those are easily some of the most appealing moves used in Contests today." She smiled gleefully at Caterpie's ball. "After Squirtle, this little guy would be my first choice for a Contest Pokemon."

Neither of us dared push the matter any farther, for fear of receiving another lecture. With Taylor's new Pokemon in tow, we continued through the Viridian Forest. Along the way we ran into several wild Pokemon and a couple Trainers. All the battles were very quick, but gained a lot of much needed experience for our Pokemon.

I focused on training Bulbasaur, as he would be the most useful in the upcoming gyms of Pewter and Cerulean. I felt apprehensive for Nico, as Charmander would be very weak in those two battles, and Rattata was still too inexperienced to take on any Gym Leader. Taylor focused harshly on her Caterpie, its growth in power visible.

"Caterpie, finish it with Tackle!" The small Bug-type gave the finishing move against a wild Weedle with great gusto. "Great job, Caterpie!" Taylor congratulated, bending down to give her Pokemon a hug.

"Pie! Pie!" the Bug-type trilled as it began glowing.

"Huh?" Taylor stared incredulously at the newly caught Pokemon in her arms. A brilliant white light emitted from its small body, illuminating the entire area of forest.

"Do you think it's…evolving?" I suggested.

"I think it is!" Taylor said excitedly. The Caterpie's body grew slightly in size, but changed drastically in shape. Its skin became much thicker, and its body began to resemble a cocoon. In one final bright flash of light, the transformation was complete. In Taylor's arms rested a newly evolved Metapod, the first Pokemon of our group to evolve, in the same day it was caught, no less!

"Metapod!" it cried with as much energy as a Metapod could have.

"Oh my Arceus! This is awesome!" Taylor's joy emanated throughout the entire forest. "My first evolved Pokemon! I can't believe it!"

"Gotta love Bug-types and their quick evolutions," Nico observed.

I agreed. "Just a little bit more, and you could have a fully evolved Butterfree."

"That's what I'm hoping for! Wouldn't that be great, Metapod?"

"Meta. Pod, pod!"

"I think it thinks so, too."

We walked another considerable distance, meeting even more wild Pokemon and Trainers. As we neared the end of the forest, I heard a rustling in some bushes. "Do you mind if I take this one, guys?" I asked the others.

"Be my guest," Nico said. "I took the last one."

I gave him a thankful smile. Since Bulbasaur had seen most of the action, I decided to send out Pidgey. "Pidgey, use Gust on that bush!"

She cawed and sent the small yet powerful gusts of wind at the bush. Whatever was in there was definitely mad now. A cry that I had never heard before sounded from it. Unprecedentedly, a small shock of electricity fired out of the bush, hitting Pidgey directly and sending her to the ground in a fainted heap.

"Pidgey!" I cried, quickly kneeling down to make sure she wasn't too badly hurt. Her feathers were scorched, but she otherwise looked fine. Well, as fine as she could be while fainted. "Return. There must be a Pikachu in there, though they're pretty rare."

Nico shook his head. "That doesn't sound like any Pikachu I've ever heard."

"Then what could it be?"

"Shinx!" the Pokemon cried out as it jumped from the bush. It was a Pokemon I had only seen in books, never in real life. A Shinx, native to Sinnoh. Static sparks jumped off its dark blue and black fur as it stared us down. Despite its size, it wasn't too shabby at being intimidating. How did one end up here? Unless it was brought here by someone, there couldn't be any reason for one to be in the Viridian Forest. In _Kanto_.

"A Shinx?" Taylor and Nico exclaimed in unison.

"I can't pass this up. Bulbasaur, let's give it a shot!" Bulbasaur came out of his ball ready to attack, but took a scared step back after seeing his opponent. I decided to try out one of the new moves he learned during our training. "Use Poison Powder!"

"Bulba!" The purple spores flew from his bulb and landed all around the Shinx. It glowed bright purple once, then flinched severely. The poison was taking a powerful effect. The Shinx's teeth were bared as it struggled to remain standing.

"Okay, here goes nothing…" I said to myself. I took out an empty ball and tossed it at the injured Pokemon. The Shinx easily deflected the ball by hitting it away with its tail right back at me.

"Wow, he's not backing down," Taylor said.

"No, it's a tough one. That means I _have _to have it." That was my logic, and I followed it religiously. "Bulbasaur, let's practice our Vine Whip!"

Bulbasaur's long vines extended and struck the Shinx. While not an effective attack against the Electric-type, it still did enough damage to weaken it without making it faint. Before I could throw the Pokeball again, the Shinx attacked with Bite. The large, dark fangs clamped around Bulbasaur's body, making him not able to move and putting him in obvious pain.

I threw the ball anyway, and this time Shinx went inside. After shaking only once, the red light became white, confirming its capture. "Wow…" I said, exasperated. "I just caught a Shinx. In Kanto!"

Nico shook his head. "I don't know how you did it, but you did."

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur added his own congratulations.

"Thanks so much, Bulbasaur. You deserve a nice long rest, now. Return."

"We better hurry to Pewter," Taylor said. "Pidgey is in pretty bad shape, and so is that Shinx."

"Yeah, let's hurry, guys." We all but ran the rest of the out of the forest, which wasn't all that long. We avoided any potential Trainer battles and wild Pokemon. In the forest, we couldn't tell what time it was. When we finally emerged onto Route 2, I had to do a double take at the time on my Poketch.

"It's already seven at night!" I looked up and noticed that the amount of light hadn't changed from inside the forest to outside. If anything, it got darker, if that's possible.

"Hopefully the Pokemon Center has openings," Taylor said as we jogged through the route to Pewter City. "I am _not_ camping out two days in a row!"

* * *

**So our heroes gained two new Pokemon party members, and one even evolved after only gaining a little bit of experience! How crazy is _that_? /sarcasm Anyway, thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed so far, and a special thank you to the two people (JessyBabe and Ash Aijo) who have already submitted characters! You guys are awesome, and can expect your characters to show up in the very near future! Until next time, review, review, REVIEW! :D**


	12. Pewter City

Pewter City, while still fairly large, was no comparison to Viridian. It's streets were narrower, there were few cars and large buildings, and it appeared much more suburban. We entered the city's cobblestone streets at around eight, so not terribly late. There was still the occasional pedestrian walking past, a police car doing routine patrols, or an enamored young couple taking a romantic walk under the stars. That sight made my heart ache.

"There's the Pokemon Center," Nico pointed out, not seeing the faint and brief look of emotional pain on my face.

"Let's not waste any more time, then," Taylor said, leading us to the greatly desired building. It was like a drink of water after being lost in a desert for a year. That's a gross exaggeration, but still: it was nice to have a real bed again.

Just like in Viridian, the Pewter City Pokemon Center had a very comforting and homey feel. The rush of warm air was a shock from the chill outside. A few Trainers and Coordinators sat in the lounge, enjoying the roaring fire with their Pokemon running around carefree.

"Hi! Welcome to Pewter City!" Nurse Joy greeted us from behind the main desk. She bowed slightly. "Would you like to get a room for the night?"

"Yes, please!" Taylor answered eagerly.

"I can see you're worn out from traveling," she giggled as she went behind the desk to get our room key.

"Can you also heal our Pokemon?" I quickly asked, remembering the fainted Pidgey and severely weakened Bulbasaur and Shinx I was carrying. "Also, can you take an extra look at my Shinx?"

"Sure thing," Joy answered, taking our Pokeballs and placing them in trays for the Chansey. "What's wrong with your Shinx?"

"Well, I just caught it in the Viridian Forest," I explained.

"Really?" she asked incredulously. "How rare."

"That's what we were saying," Taylor supplied.

"It was just running around wild," I continued. "It was really powerful, too, so maybe it had a previous Trainer?"

"That's not likely," Nurse Joy explained. "Unless the Trainer had abandoned it a long time ago and it had enough time to return to its feral state in the forest, there would be no way for you to catch it. Was it particularly aggressive?"

"It was. I think my poor Pidgey is proof enough of that."

"Well, I'll see what I can find out." She handed us our room key kindly, then followed the Chansey into the back room.

"Should we go to our room then?" I suggested.

"Yeah, we probably need to call Mom and Dad anyway," Taylor said.

"I should call my parents, too," Nico added. "It's been a while since I talked to them."

* * *

"Oh, Taylor! We're so proud of you!" Mom said for the umpteenth time during the call we made in our room. "Your very first Contest, and you won! And you said Blaire was a judge?"

"Yeah, she was," Taylor answered.

Mom had a suspicious glint in her eye. "Would you say it was a…fair judgement?"

Taylor sighed. "Yes, Mom. Blaire told me she judged as if I was a total stranger. If she really was trying to make me win, she wouldn't have given half of the people tens on their appeals, too."

"I can vouch for that," Nico interjected. "Taylor really did win fair and square, Mrs.―I mean, Kris."

"I'll take your word, Nico," she said with a smile.

"Where's Dad and Seth?" I asked.

"Seth has been swamped at the Gym, so your father has been helping out, keeping the Trainers under control, that sort of thing." She glanced at the clock on the wall behind her. "They'll probably still be out for another couple hours."

"Have there been _that _many people challenging the Gym?" Taylor asked.

She nodded. "Yep. So far, Seth has only given one person a badge, though. Most of the challengers are new Trainers with little to no experience, so the battles don't last more than five minutes."

"That can't be too fun," Nico said.

"Not at all," Mom answered. "Anyway, I should probably let you guys go. Good luck on the Pewter Gym, Terran and Nico! And the Contest, Taylor!"

"Thanks, Mom."

"Thank you."

"Bye, Mom!" I ended the call. "Do you want to call your family now?" I asked of Nico.

"Yeah, thanks." He quickly dialed the number. While it rang, Taylor and I stepped out of the video. "You guys can talk to them. It's fine."

"You sure?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Good point. It would be impossible to say no to those gorgeous eyes and ravishing smile, anyway.

A middle-aged, Hispanic-looking woman answered the phone. She had a little more weight on her, but was nowhere near fat. Even in her current sleepy state, it was easy to tell she was a beautiful woman, and could only be the mother of one Dominic Romero. "Hello? Oh, Nico! Thank you so much for calling!" Her voice had a slight accent to it, but not too heavy. "It's been too long, you need to call home more."

"Sorry, Mama," he shrugged. "I've been pretty busy traveling."

"That's fine, _mijo_," she cooed. "I understand." She squinted her eyes behind her glasses at the screen. "Who are these two? Your friends?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry guys," Nico quickly apologized. "Mama, this is Terran and Taylor. They're my new traveling companions. Guys, this is my mom."

"Very nice to meet you, Mrs. Romero," Taylor and I both said

"You too, sweeties! And please, call me Lizette. I'm so glad you were able to find companions, Nico! Tell me, how did you all meet?"

"Just on the SS Anne," Nico quickly explained. "We just ran into each other."

"That's wonderful! You know, Terran and Taylor, he was supposed to be going with his girlfriend, Alexia―."

"She wasn't my girlfriend!" Nico quickly interjected in a very un-Nico-like manner. "We were just friends."

"Please, you two were inseparable," she chastised. "They did everything together. I swear one day they will be married."

"Mama…" Nico groaned, his cheeks quickly flushing. My heart had sunk. He was that close with a girl? There went all my hope for every being with this boy. I tried not to show my utter depression―and yes, it was legitimate depression―on my face, but it was tearing up my insides. A girl he could have been in love with… Just great. _Perfect._

"Oh, fine, I'll stop. But anyway, it's great you all have found each other. Will we see you when you roll around to Fuchsia?"

"You sure can!" I answered.

"Wonderful!" she exclaimed.

"Goodbye, Mama," Nico said pressingly.

"Goodbye, everyone! I love you, Nico."

"I love you, too, Mama."

"Bye!"

"Goodbye!"

Nico quickly hung up. "Sorry about that, guys. She can be kind of…eccentric sometimes."

"I thought she seemed fine," I told him. "What are parents for besides embarrassing their kids?"

He gave a weak smile. "Our Pokemon are probably healed up by now."

"Yeah, let's go," Taylor agreed. "There were lots of Coordinators down there I could try to intimidate before tomorrow." Good old Taylor.

* * *

"Your Pokemon are feeling much better now," Nurse Joy said as she returned our Pokeballs. "I tried to examine your Shinx," she began to me, "but I couldn't find anything wrong with her. She's definitely a little shook up from whatever brought her to the Viridian Forest, but I think you'll find her much more docile now. She may have attacked just out of fear, not aggression."

"Great, thanks!" I said.

"It's my pleasure." She went back behind the desk to help some more people. I saw there was still a sizable group seated around the fire, some talking to each other, some playing with their Pokemon, and others just enjoying the warmth of the fire.

"Want to do some socializing?" I asked. Hopefully it would get my mind distracted from Alexia, Nico's 'friend.'

"Yeah, for sure," Taylor eagerly agreed. We walked over to the group of about a half dozen Trainers and Coordinators, all within our age range. Taylor immediately struck up a conversation with a boy. I saw a slender girl with long, chestnut brown hair and green eyes kneeling on the floor, grooming her Torchic. The Torchic loved the attention and chirped happily as its feathers were brushed.

"Hi, I'm Terran," I said to the girl. She turned around with a big smile.

"Oh, hi!" She dropped the comb she was working with, giving her Torchic a grimace. "I'm Charlie."

"And I'm Nico," Nico added.

"Great to meet you both!" She shook both of our hands.

"You have really nice Torchic there," I complimented. "It looks really strong." Really, it did look very strong. Much stronger than any of the Pokemon I had with me.

"Oh, Pru here? Thanks so much!" At hearing the praise for her, Pru stood up straighter with a superior smile. The three of us sat on the nearest empty couch, Charlie with Pru on her lap. "So what brings you guys to Pewter City?"

"We're going to challenge the Gym tomorrow," Nico explained. "Are you a Trainer?"

Charlie shook her head. "No, I'm a Coordinator. I was hoping to enter the Contest the day after tomorrow."

"Really? My sister was hoping to enter the Contest here," I said.

"Is that right? Tell her good luck!" I was almost expecting to hear an added, "she'll need it," but then I remembered I wasn't talking to Veronica, I was talking to a genuinely pleasant Coordinator.

"Sure thing." I smiled. "So where are you from? You have a Torchic, so I'm guessing Hoenn?"

"You're guessing right!" she answered. "Me and my friend, Benji―he's around here, somewhere―are from LaRousse City. What about you guys?"

"My sister―Taylor―and I are from Vermillion," I said.

"I'm from Fuchsia," Nico said. "I just met them on the way to get our starters, and now we're companions."

"That's good. Especially for not knowing them at all before."

I laughed. "Yeah, it is pretty good." Pru started chirping loudly, begging for attention from Charlie.

"What's wrong, Pru?" The Fire-type started pointing at the comb Charlie left on the ground. She sighed, then said, "Well, sorry to cut this short, guys, but Melissa-Chester-in-training here needs to finish being groomed. It was great meeting you guys!"

"Yeah, you too!" She left with the comb, presumedly to her room. As she walked away, another girl approached us. She was much taller and leaner than Charlie, with a dark complexion and darker colored hair and eyes. It looked like a strong wind could blow this girl over, but when she spoke, her commanding, yet still feminine and saccharine voice could blow the wind away.

"Hey, sorry, I overheard you guys talking about challenging the Gym tomorrow. I was going to do it tomorrow, too. I'm Lauren Melendez."

"Oh, cool! Well, I'm Terran, and this is Nico."

"Hi," he said meekly.

"Great to meet both of you. Now, is Pewter going to be your first Gym battle?"

I nodded. "Yep, it is. And you?"

"Yeah. I was hoping to maybe talk battle with somebody to try to prepare myself."

"We'd be happy to." I glanced at Nico, who nodded his agreement.

"Great!" Before Lauren could sit down, a loud bang sounded from outside the Pokemon Center.

"What was that?" somebody shouted.

"I don't know…"

"Let's go check it out," Lauren said. Most of the people inside, including Nurse Joy and even a couple Chanseys, headed outside to investigate. There were two boys who obviously had just been in a battle. A Scyther was in a defeated heap against the wall of the Pokemon Center, while a smaller but very determined looking Spearow fluttered in the air above it. One of the boy's returned the Spearow at seeing all the people coming.

"Chansey! Chansey!" the Chansey chanted as they quickly carried the fainted Scyther inside to heal it.

One of the boys looked very familiar… "Now look what you did! You caused this whole scene! Hmph! I was about to win, too! That was just dumb luck!" Yep. It was Isaac, no denying it. The other boy I didn't recognize. He looked very embarrassed, more about being yelled at by a kid six inches shorter than him than having his battle interrupted like this. He had shaggy blond hair and soft blue eyes that scanned the crowd.

"Benji?" a familiar voice called. I turned to see Charlie running out of the Pokemon Center toward the blond boy. "What happened?"

"Well, he asked for a battle," Benji responded, gesturing at Isaac who was following the Chanseys into the Pokemon Center in a huff, "and I'm not going to _not_ accept a battle, you know? I just didn't realize Sky's Aerial Ace was that strong."

"Well, I'm just glad you didn't blow something up."

"Oh yeah, that's Pru's job, isn't it?" he said mockingly. Charlie rolled her eyes at the comment.

Almost everyone had gone back inside, save me, Nico, Lauren, Charlie, Benji, Taylor, and the boy Taylor was talking to earlier. "If it's any consolation," I said as I approached Charlie and Benji, "it must've been a great battle to make everybody inside come out here."

"That's true. Thanks, man," he said amicably.

"Oh! Benji, this is Terran. He's a Trainer, too. Terran, this is my partner, Benji."

"Nice to meet you, dude."

"Same here." I looked around for someone in particular. All I could see was Taylor introducing Nico to the mystery boy. "Hey, you didn't see that kid, Isaac, with anybody else, did you?"

Benji shook his head. "Nope. He was alone. Why?"

"We ran into him earlier in the Viridian Forest, and he was with his brother. But I don't see his brother anywhere."

"That's weird," he said.

"Really weird," Charlie added. A strong breeze blew through, making all of us shiver. "I think that's our cue to go back inside."

"I second that motion," Benji said. The three of us joined the other group in going back inside.

"Hey, Terran, have you met Nathan?" Taylor said, gesturing to the unknown boy. He had jet-black hair styled into a short faux-hawk and tanned skin dotted with a few freckles along his nose and cheeks. He towered over everyone else present.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked.

"Nothing much, man. How are you?"

"Not too bad." He smiled back.

"Nathan's my partner," Lauren supplied as we reentered. "He'll be entering the Contest here in a day or two, I forget when."

"No way? Me too," Charlie added. "I'm Charlie, by the way. And this is Benji."

The whole big group of us sat back on the couches, getting to know each other and quickly becoming friends. I glanced at Nico periodically. He wasn't saying much, and only talked when somebody asked him something. I gave him a slight smile that he returned. Our gazes locked, and just like that time on the SS Anne, I felt like we had just connected in a way impossible to describe in the physical world.

The group all in all seemed pretty cool. So far, it looked me, Nico, and Lauren were going to battle the Gym tomorrow, then the next day, Taylor, Charlie, and Nathan were entering the Contest. Unfortunately, as Benji informed us, Isaac also said he planned to enter. That was a major buzz-kill. When I asked Benji if he was planning on challenging Brock, he said he wasn't.

"It's not really my goal right now to gain Gym Badges," he explained. "Really, me and Charlie came to Kanto for two reasons: so she can do the Contests, and so I can find a Dratini."

"A Dratini?" Taylor said. "Why? Those are super rare."

"Yeah, man," Nathan added. "Kind of a weird dream if you ask me."

"It's…complicated," Benji said. "I have my reasons…"

Sensing the awkwardness in the air, Charlie said, "Well, it's getting late, guys. I think I'm going to go to bed."

"That sounds like a good idea," said Nico.

"Yeah, we're going to need our energy for tomorrow," Lauren agreed. "Goodnight, everyone!" she called as her and Nathan went off to their room, followed quickly by Charlie and Benji.

"See you in the morning!" By the time Taylor, Nico, and I had arrived to our room, I almost instantly passed out on one of the beds. There were three beds this time, which was kind of bittersweet for me. On one hand, it was _very_ nice not to have to worry about any awkward feelings between Nico and I sleeping together, but I also felt like it would be one of the few opportunities I'd have to get close to him―emotionally and physically.

It was an exhausting day, so I didn't linger on those thoughts long. I just went straight to sleep, awaiting the exciting day tomorrow.

* * *

**Sorry for the delay in updates, guys. But school is doing what school does, which is be a pain in my butt. I'll still try to update whenever I can, so don't give up hope on me! At least not yet, anyway :P. Also, BIG thanks to "JessyBabe" for supplying the characters Charlie and Benji! You're awesome! If you still want to submit a character, I'll accept every singly character given to me until the end of the story! Until next time, review, por favor! :D**


	13. The Pewter Gym: Part 1

I woke up the next morning more excited than I've been since the day I left on my journey. Nico and Taylor were already up and about, Taylor in the shower and Nico just finishing getting dressed. _Damn it! I missed my sneak peek!_ I then mentally slapped myself for that thought.

"Good morning!" he said joyfully. I mumbled something unintelligible as I yawned myself awake. "I'll take that as a 'you too.'"

I gave a weak smile. "That's what I meant. How long has Taylor been in the shower?"

"She just got it in, so it might be a while." Before he could finish his sentence, the water shut off and Taylor emerged several seconds later, hair wrapped in a towel and fully dressed. "Wow…"

"I don't mess around," Taylor commented as she towel-dried her hair. "I get things done."

"After 16 years together, I can confirm that statement."

"Thank you, brother."

"No problem." I quickly jumped in the shower, did my thing, then we went down to the lobby. Like back in Viridian, several buffet style tables were set up, all filled with young people. Charlie saw us walk out and waved us over to her and Benji.

"Hey, what's up guys?" she said as we sat down.

"Nothing much," I shrugged as I enjoyed the delicious hospitality set before me.

"How was your guys' night?" Taylor asked.

"Pretty good. Not much to complain about. _Much_," Benji spat in Charlie's direction.

"It wasn't _my_ fault!" Charlie quickly defended. "Blame Prudence!"

"Your Torchic?" Nico asked.

She nodded. "During the night, she must have accidentally gotten out of her Pokeball."

"_Accidentally_…" Benji muttered.

Charlie ignored him and continued. "She may or may not have singed some bed sheets and the carpet while trying to get some dirt out of her feathers."

"Sounds innocent enough," I said.

"Tell that to the person who has to pay to replace everything," said Benji. "If only this was the _first_ time something like this has happened…" he said as a playful and mocking jab at Charlie.

"Please! That was like…only the third time!"

"Sounds like somebody's have a lovers' tiff," I whispered to Nico.

"_What?_" they both shrieked.

"We are _not_ 'lovers,'" Charlie said, emphasizing the word with air quotes.

"And we'll probably never be," Benji added matter-of-factly. For the briefest of milliseconds, I think saw a twinge of pain go through him as he said it. I didn't want to make any assumptions, but if it looks like a Psyduck, walks like a Psyduck, and quacks like a Psyduck, it's a Psyduck.

"Have you guys seen Nathan anywhere? Or Lauren?" Taylor asked to change the subject.

"They went through a while ago," Charlie explained. "Lauren really wanted to train before the Gym Battle today."

"That's not a bad idea." I glanced at Nico, who seemed to agree.

"Maybe we should…"

"Join?"

"Definitely!"

"Finishing each other's sentences? Now I know who the real lovers are," Benji teased. If only it were true…

* * *

"Bulbasaur, you're going to be the biggest help in the fight," I said to my Pokemon. After breakfast, Nico and I left the Pokemon Center together, hopefully to find a few Trainers hoping to battle. Right now, we were in the square around the Pewter Gym. The prime spot for battling.

Bulbasaur looked up and winked at me. "Bulba!" he assured me.

I patted his head. "That's the spirit!"

Nico had called out Charmander and was giving him a pep talk also. After the initial shock of being out in the open, Charmander was able to be semi-calmed while Nico talked to him, only flinching every now and then at average sounds.

"We're going to be at a disadvantage," Nico said solemnly to the Fire-type, "but we can pull out a win, right?"

Charmander gulped loudly. "Char…?"

"That's…better," Nico said exasperatedly.

"If Charmander's too nervous, I could let you borrow Bulbasaur for the battle," I suggested.

"Bulba! Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur cheered loudly.

"I think Bulbasaur would be more than happy to help," I added with a laugh.

"No, I really want to be able to do this on my own," he said proudly, stroking Charmander. Charmander nodded reluctantly, but then let out a vigorous, "Charmander!"

"Looks like someone's ready."

Nico laughed. "Yeah, they are."

"Hey," an unfamiliar voice sounded. "Are you guys Trainers?" There were two young guys, both looking prepared to spend an entire week in the forest, and both looking eager for a battle.

"Yeah we are," I said. "Are you guys looking for a battle?"

"We sure are!" the second boy said. "Would you be okay with a double battle?"

I looked at Nico. "That sounds great," he said.

"Perfect!" they said at the same time. "You can choose first," the first boy said.

"All right, Bulbasaur, you're up!" Bulbasaur jumped in front of me, landing right in the middle of us and the two boys. We backed up until there were several yards between us to make room for the battle.

"Charmander, are you ready?" Nico asked. Charmander nodded quickly, gulped loudly again, then joined Bulbasaur.

"Let's do this, Machop!" The first boy sent out the Fighting-type with a flourish from its ball.

"Come on Rhyhorn!" The second boy's large Pokemon roared loudly as it came out, nearly making Charmander faint right there. He did manage to stay standing, though.

I didn't hesitate to start the battle. "Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip at Rhyhorn!" Bulbasaur jumped forward, his long vines whipping toward the Rock- and Ground-type for a super effective attack.

"Rhyhorn, dodge!" The command was too late, and Vine Whip dished out a ton of damage.

"Rhy!" Rhyhorn roared. It dropped to one knee, then struggled to stand up. No way it was giving up.

"Machop, use Karate Chop on Charmander!" Machop smirked as it ran toward Charmander, its hand ready to give a potentially fatal blow.

"Dodge, quick!" Nico called. Charmander jumped out of the way just in time, the Machop's attack landing in the concrete of the sidewalk. "Now, use Bite!" Bite was one of the new moves Nico was able to teach Charmander in the Viridian Forest. Charmander opened his maw wide, large shadowy fangs emerging, then clamping down on the Machop.

"Maaa!" it cried out in pain, but didn't take a whole lot of damage.

I almost didn't notice the second boy getting ready to attack again. "Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip again on Rhyhorn!" Bulbasaur maneuvered like he did the first time around.

"Rhyhorn, dodge!" This time, Rhyhorn was able to get out of the way, but it was much slower. "Use Take Down!" Rhyhorn began charging at Bulbasaur full force.

"Bulbasaur!" The attack hit and sent Bulbasaur through the air several feet. With stifled whimpers, Bulbasaur stood back on his feet. Unfortunately for the boy, that attack took the last bits of energy Rhyhorn had, and it now lay in a clump on the ground, clearly fainted.

"Rhyhorn, return." He called back his Pokemon solemnly, not taking the defeat very well.

"Machop," the first boy ordered, "Low Kick!" Machop sprinted forward with one leg extended, ready to strike anything in its way. In this case, Charmander.

"Charmander, use Ember on the ground!" Charmander looked confused for a moment, but then obeyed his Trainer. The small sparks covered the ground, right where Machop was about to step. As its foot hit the ground, he paused in mid-attack. A second later, it was jumping up, writhing in pain of his foot.

"Machop, focus!" its Trainer commanded, but the Pokemon couldn't hear over its own screams.

Nico started to smile, but stopped himself. "Charmander, finish off with Metal Claw!" Metal Claw was a move Charmander was trying to learn earlier, but had no success. But if Nico was confident enough in his Pokemon's abilities, more power to him.

Charmander's claws flashed brightly, turning lustrous and menacing. With one swipe of his foot, Charmander sliced Machop, effectively ending the battle.

"Machop, return."

"Good battle," I said to the two.

"Oh, it's not over yet," the second boy said. "Go, Staryu!"

I stifled a giggle. A Water-type against Bulbasaur? Whatever he thinks is right, I guess. "Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!"

"Rapid Spin, Staryu!" Before Bulbasaur could even move, Staryu span quicker than light out of the way and into large, confusing circles. Bulbasaur tried to focus, but could never keep track of Staryu. "Now, use Confusion!"

That took me by surprise. Staryu came to an abrupt stop and fired a violet ray of psychic energy toward Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur stumbled about for a little, then fainted quickly. "You did good, buddy. Return." I quickly debated over my next Pokemon. Pidgey I actually have experience with and trust, and I haven't battled with Shinx yet. Maybe this would be a good first time?

"Charmander, try to use Metal Claw!" Charmander fired up the move again, but couldn't finish.

"Staryu, Water Gun!" The spray of water doused Charmander, knocking him out in one hit.

"Charmander…" Nico breathed as he recalled him. I saw the hurt and despair in his eyes, like he had failed his Pokemon. I decided to take the battle into my own hands.

"Shinx, let's try this out!" Shinx came out meekly, her aggressiveness from before severely diminished. She glanced back at me and meowed softly. She wasn't necessarily happy with it, but she was willing to fight with me. "Let's try out Thundershock!" Shinx gathered the electricity in her fur, then dispelled it in a small surge right at Staryu. Though super effective, Staryu still seemed fine.

"Staryu, use Rapid Spin again!" Staryu began its maneuver from before, spinning in lightning fast circles around Shinx. Shinx wasn't fazed by it and kept her focus. Sparks were flying off her body, the energy too much to contain in her body.

Taking a gamble, I tried a stronger move I wasn't sure she knew. "Shinx, use Thunderbolt all around!" I think I saw the equivalent of an evil smirk as she let loose the pent-up energy. Powerful waves of electricity were sent out in all directions. Staryu slowed to a pained stop. With one final burst of electricity, Staryu was defeated.

"Now it's over…" the boy said as he returned Staryu and started going through his wallet.

* * *

A few battles later, Nico and I decided it was time to enter the gym. Charmander, to me, still hadn't quite got the experience he needed for a gym battle, but Nico was confident in him. Nico wasn't confident about most things, so I believed him wholeheartedly this time. We caught up with Taylor, Charlie, and Benji at the Pokemon Center, healed our Pokemon, and headed to the gym to face Brock.

"You guys will do great, I can just feel it!" Charlie encouraged.

"Thanks," I said.

"You guys better win," Taylor interjected. "Otherwise, I'm disowning you."

"Funny. I said the same thing before the Viridian Contest." I shrugged. She laughed.

"Well, here we are!" Benji announced as we approached the large building again. Trainers filed inside like ants, anticipating what is probably most of their first gym matches. We opened the big double doors leading into a small reception area. A young woman behind the front desk took the names from each prospective challenger and scheduled their battle with Brock.

The line moved very swiftly, us getting to the front in under five minutes. "Hello, name please?" the woman asked.

"Terran Murdock."

She typed away at a computer for a moment. "Okay. You can wait in the stadium until we announce your name. Then, you can come back to the lobby to see me, and I'll lead you to the challenger's area."

"Thank you." She didn't say anything and went through the same process with Nico. She did get a little frustrated when Taylor, Charlie, and Benji told her they weren't battling today.

We followed the signs into the huge stadium housed in the building. While not as big Viridian's Contest stadium, it was still an impressive sight. Hundreds upon hundreds of seats circled around a battlefield covered with rocky outcroppings. Two small platforms were raised about ten feet above the battlefield, where the opposing Trainers commanded their Pokemon. Already, several dozen people had gathered in the stadium to watch the battles going on below.

Though he was far away, I could clearly see the tall and stoic form of Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader. He stood with his arms crossed as he mechanically ordered his current Pokemon, Onix, against the challenger's Pidgey. All it took was one attack of Rock Tomb to defeat the Trainer, a young girl.

"Pidgey!" she cried.

"Pidgey is unable to battle. Victory goes to Gym Leader Brock!" a computerized voice sounded over the loudspeaker, echoing throughout the stadium. The girl recalled her Pidgey, and the platform she was on lowered beneath the battlefield to await the next challenger. We took seats in the front, right where we could see the action. I looked around for Lauren or Nathan, but couldn't find either of them.

"Next up, we have challenger Lauren Melendez," the voice announced. No sooner had the announcement been made, the platform rose above again, this time holding a familiar girl.

"There she is," Taylor observed. "Come on, Lauren! Show him who's boss!" she cheered.

Lauren turned around, then waved at us. We all waved back and said, "Good luck!"

"Are you ready?" Brock asked Lauren, his sternness never fading. The man's focus couldn't be diverted by anything, even a Nurse Joy passing through the battlefield. From what my parents had told me, Brock used to be quite the ladies' man, but had also faced a lot of rejection in his time. Now, he had settled down, married Roxanne, the Gym Leader from Rustboro City, Hoenn, and was one of the most respected Gym Leaders in Kanto.

"As I'll ever be!" Lauren answered energetically. "Tropius, come on out!"

"She has a Tropius?" I asked incredulously.

"I guess so," Charlie replied. "She must be some Trainer, huh?"

"No kidding," Nico agreed.

"A Tropius, huh?" Brock contemplated. Even though there was a huge type disadvantage, he remained as calm as ever. "I'll take it. Onix, use Rock Tomb!"

"Tropius, use Fly!" Lauren commanded. Brock's Onix roared as it launched several huge rocks toward Tropius. At the call of its Trainer, Tropius flapped its wings rapidly, quickly making it rise to the top of the stadium, almost colliding with the roof. "Now, Razor Leaf!"

The attack came down like acid rain onto the helpless Onix. "Onix, hang in there!" Brock urged. The Pokemon couldn't hold on any longer. When the barrage of leaves ended, so did Onix's consciousness.

"Onix is unable to battle," the voice said.

Brock bit his lip as he returned Onix. "You're not playing around, are you?" he said with an impressed laugh.

Lauren shook her head. "Nope!"

"I like that." Amazingly, Lauren wiped out the rest of Brock's party using only her Tropius, who received minimal damage.

"Brock has run out of useable Pokemon. Victory goes to the challenger, Lauren Melendez!"

The entire crowd cheered loudly. Lauren jumped up and down excitedly, her Tropius fluttering over to nuzzle its Trainer. "We did it!" she exclaimed. "We did it!"

"Yes you did!" Brock said. Their platforms lowered onto the battlefield itself. Both stepped off and walked to meet each other in the center. Brock reached into his pocket and produced a small, shiny object. "You've battled great. I now present you with the Boulder Badge of Pewter Gym to show your accomplishments."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Lauren squealed as she politely took the badge. "This is so awesome!" Brock only smiled as Lauren pranced back to leave the battlefield.

* * *

A few battles later, Lauren and Nathan were now both sitting with us as we awaited mine and Nico's turn. So far, Lauren had been the only Trainer to beat Brock and earn the badge. All others had been wiped out, including the boys Nico and I battled earlier, with only one Pokemon from Brock.

"Next up, we have challenger Terran Murdock," the voice announced.

My eyes grew wide, and I temporarily lost my voice. "That's me."

"Yes, that's you!" Taylor urged. "Go, go!"

"Good luck, Terr!" Nico called out as I went back to the receptionist. The brief anxiety attack I had was now fully replaced by excitement. I was going to battle Brock! My first ever gym battle!

The receptionist led me through a back door and down several flights of stairs until I came to the platform. I wasted no time jumping on. She left, again silent. I didn't mind. The platform slowly began rising. The sounds of the roaring crowd behind me grew exponentially as I arrived at my destination, Brock staring from right across the battlefield at me.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"You know it!" I responded, already reaching for Bulbasaur's Pokeball.

"That's what I like to hear," he replied with a wink. "Go, Golem!" His first Pokemon made a dazzling entrance. Or as dazzling as a large rock could make.

"Bulbasaur, let's go!" Bulbasaur took a battle ready stance out of the ball, and didn't bat an eyelash at the sight of the menacing Golem.

"Golem, use Rock Polish!" Golem tucked its body inside its rocky shell and began rolling around, its speed sharply increasing.

"Stun Spore, Bulbasaur!" The light yellow spores covered the entire area of the battlefield, coating the rocks, and most importantly, the opposing Pokemon. Bulbasaur was unaffected. Golem slowed to a stop, its limbs and head falling out limply. It made several attempts to move, but it was futile. "Good job, now use Vine Whip!"

"Golem, try to dodge! Move!" Brock's commands were hollow. Bulbasaur's attack repeatedly struck Golem, until it stopped trying to move and simply collapsed.

"Golem is unable to battle."

"I can see you take after your parents," Brock commented.

"Thanks." I didn't want to accept the compliment. I wanted to win battles because _I_ won them myself, not because of my parents.

"Come on out, Onix!" I saw the red light emanate from Brock's ball, but I didn't see Onix appear on the battlefield. Then I saw a slight rumbling in the rocks coming from underground.

"Crap…" Bulbasaur glanced around worriedly, sweat coming off both of us profusely.

"I decided it would be best if I pulled out all my little tricks," Brock explained. "I wouldn't want to waste such an opportunity like this."

"Trust me. This opportunity isn't any rarer than any of the Trainers before me."

Brock didn't reply. "Onix, go wherever Bulbasaur is!" The rumblings came to an abrupt stop right under Bulbasaur.

"Bulba… Bulba…" he panted, glancing at me desperately. I gritted my teeth as I quickly thought of a plan.

"Bulbasaur… Run toward me!"

"Follow the vibrations, Onix!" As Bulbasaur scurried as fast as his legs could carry him, the ground undulated right behind him. "Use Rage, now!"

I heard Onix roar from under the ground, and the movements became no less than an earthquake. "Bulbasaur, keep running! Run towards the edge of the field!" Bulbasaur did as he was told, coming right up to the metallic wall that surrounded the battlefield. Just as Onix burst forth from underneath with enough raw power to bury a whole village, Bulbasaur evaded by jumping further than I thought he could. Onix collided with the side, causing a huge disturbance in the building and nearly making me fall of the platform.

"Onix!" Brock yelled. The giant rock snake fell with a resounding crash back to the ground, leaving a large dent in the wall. He didn't get back up. Bulbasaur was able to avoid being squished by its hulking mass, but was exhausted.

"Onix is unable to battle."

"You're really not holding back, are you?"

"Why would I?" I answered, more snidely than I meant to.

"That's a good answer," he said as he reached for his next and last Pokemon.

* * *

**I really hate to leave this as a cliffhanger (even though cliff really isn't that high, and you have a pretty firm grip) but this chapter was getting a little too length for my liking. Hope you understand. I'll most likely update again tomorrow with the finale, unless disaster strikes (ie, I get distracted by something shiny). Unless that happens, I'll see you tomorrow! :D An review, please, thank you!**


	14. The Pewter Gym: Part 2

"Kabutops, let's get things done!" Brock's last choice for a Pokemon took me by surprise. He didn't use Kabutops against Lauren, only another Golem. Reviving Pokemon from fossils is still an amazing idea to me. Now I was actually battling a once-extinct Pokemon―it was surreal.

"Wow…" I breathed. I looked down and saw Bulbasaur panting heavily, struggling to stay standing. The fierceness of battle never left his countenance, though. "Okay, we got this, Bulbasaur! Poison Powder!"

"Slash, Kabutops!" Kabutops' vicious claws swiped away the floating purple powder. Not one spore affected it. "Use Mud Shot!"

"Bulbasaur, dodge!" A thick unavoidable stream of mud was kicked by Kabutops straight at Bulbasaur. It took the very last bits of health Bulbasaur had.

"Bul…ba…" he groaned as he collapsed.

"Bulbasaur is unable to battle."

I tried not to show it, but I forced back a tear as his crumpled body on the ground. "You did great, Bulbasaur. You can return for a nice long rest now."

"It's not often I see a Trainer that dedicated to their Pokemon," Brock said. "I'm certainly privileged to be battling you."

"The privilege is all mine," I said, choosing my next Pokemon. "Like I said before, I'm really not that special." I bit my lip, worried about my next choice. Really, neither Pidgey nor Shinx would be at an advantage. Both were both at great disadvantages. But I had to choose one. "Pidgey, let's give it our best shot!"

Pidgey flew up high, then hovered in front of Kabutops, both of their glares tearing into each other. Brock smirked. "Well, interesting move. Kabutops, Mud Shot!"

"Get out of the way, Pidgey! Then Gust!" Pidgey flapped out of the way of the move, then sent strong gusts of wind at the ancient Pokemon, dealing zero damage.

"Aqua Jet, Kabutops!" Strong surges of water burst forth, rising high enough to be able to reach Pidgey.

"Sand Attack! Quick!" Pidgey lowered herself to the ground to avoid the water, then flapped up copious amounts of sand into Kabutops eyes. The sand mixed with the water, splashing mud all over its face, temporarily blinding it.

"Kabutops!" Brock's Pokemon stumbled around, trying futilely to scrape away the mud.

"Now, use Peck!" Pidgey flapped over to the flailing Pokemon and hit it hard with her beak. This was a bad idea on my part. She was sent back, reeling in pain from its hard shell.

"Rock Tomb, Kabutops! Don't worry about aiming!" Kabutops stopped squirming for a moment to administer the attack. The rocks flew radically, but one was heading dead on.

"Pidgey, fly away!" Still dazed from the previous move, Pidgey couldn't react fast enough. The large rock hit her in a crushing blow.

"Pidgey is unable to battle."

I breathed in sharply as I returned Pidgey. It was down to my last hope.

"Well, it's been a great battle," Brock said, almost tauntingly. "But all good things must come to an end."

"And this good thing isn't over yet. Go, Shinx!" Shinx appeared calm and collected, almost bored. She glanced up at Kabutops, then began to lick her paws. I wanted to take that as confidence, but to everybody else, it seemed like indifference. I decided to work with both.

"Okay, Shinx, Bite!" Shinx pounced forward, the ghostly jaws emerging and clamping down on Kabutops. Kabutops screeched, still not able to see where the attack came from.

"Kabutops, Earthquake!"

It took all I had not to scream expletives. "Shinx! Hurry! Jump on a rock!" Kabutops fell on all fours and began violently shaking the earth. Shinx leaped on top of a large boulder. The whole stadium began shaking, some of the lights flickered, and several of the rocks threatened to become uprooted. Shinx struggled to hold on to her position, almost falling off several times.

When the shaking went on for more than ten seconds, I made my next move. "Shinx! Thunderbolt!" While still clutching the boulder, she fired the deadly accurate bolt of electricity at Kabutops. The Earthquake attack stopped. Shinx jumped off the boulder with a flourish, ready for more.

Kabutops rose back to its feet slowly. Small burn marks now dotted its hard shell. "Finish it off with Rock Tomb!" Brock ordered.

"Quick Attack to dodge, Shinx!" Shinx almost became invisible as she dashed out of the line of Rock Tomb. "Go behind Kabutops, now! Then use Thunder Wave!" She sprinted behind the hopelessly confused Rock- and Water-type then emitted a weak electric pulse. Kabutops wobbled on its feet, sporadic sparks of static electricity bouncing off its body. Then it fell to the ground, unable to get back up, but still in the battle.

"Kabutops!" Brock sighed in desperation. "Try to get back up!"

"Don't let it, Shinx! Use Thunderbolt one more time!" That was all it took. With one final surge of energy, Shinx was able to defeat the Kabutops.

"Kabutops is unable to battle. Brock has run out of useable Pokemon. Victory goes to challenger Terran Murdock!" I have to say, I had to pinch myself. My first gym challenge, and I won! I couldn't even hear the audience behind me over my own cries of excitement and absolute euphoria. I jumped off the platform before it could even lower itself all the way down.

I rushed over to Shinx and picked her up in my arms, nuzzling her against the crook of my neck. "Wow! You did great, Shinx!" She purred softly, then licked the tip of my nose with her course tongue―the first acts of affection she's ever shown me! That was a _huge_ victory in itself!

"I have to say," I heard Brock say as he approached me and returned Kabutops, "I am very honored to have lost to a Trainer like you."

"Thanks! Thanks so much!"

I was beaming as he reached into his pocket to produce the Boulder Badge. "I very gladly give you this Boulder Badge to show your accomplishment today at the Pewter City Gym."

"Thank you. This is incredible!" He gave a crooked smile as I took the badge and headed back to the leave the battlefield.

"Next up, we have challenger Dominic Romero." I smiled as I saw him rise in the stands to take on the same challenge I had just finished. I knew he would do great. It was intuition, and my intuition is never wrong―except when it's not right. Hopefully this wasn't one of those times.

* * *

I was greeted by a slew of compliments as I returned to the stands. Charlie and Lauren both gushed, and Taylor gave me a big hug. Benji and Nathan even patted me on the back.

"Thanks, guys." I tried not to sounds rude, but really I cared more about this upcoming battle. I took a seat as Nico's platform rose above the battlefield. "Come on, Nico! You got this, man!"

He gave me a brief thumbs up from down below. I could see sweat glistening on his forehead and his hands rolled into tight balls. "Ready to battle?" Brock asked. Nico tried to answer, but no words came out. Instead, he just nodded. "All right then. Golem, come on out!"

"Charmander, let's go!"

It was almost humorous how the battle started. Charmander, just at the brief sight of Golem he got, was hiding behind a rock in half a second flat, quivering more than a Caterpie in a flock of Spearow. Nico's cheeks flushed. I felt some of the embarrassment for him.

"Golem, Rock Tomb!"

"Charmander, dodge!" Charmander was frozen with fear, literally. He didn't budge an inch. The rocks fell from above unapologetically. When the dust cleared, Charmander was defeated. Nico stared, pained, at the sight.

"Charmander is unable to battle."

Nico's mouth hung open as he returned Charmander. Maybe it was just a large bead of sweat, but I think I saw a single tear snake its way down Nico's cheek.

"I'm sorry, but a battle's a battle." Brock shrugged.

Nico nodded. He swallowed hard, then said, "I know. I get it. I'm not giving up." Simple, sweet, and to the point. Just why I like him. "Rattata, you got this!"

Rattata emerged with a fighting spirit, ready to take on any challenge sent his way. Even a Golem. "Golem, use Rollout!" Golem tucked itself into a ball, then started a savage path of rolling toward Rattata.

"Jump, Rattata! Then use Quick Attack!" Rattata followed the command, jumping out of the way of Golem, then speeding to a position just behind it. Golem stopped rolling to turn around and face Rattata. "Use Hyper Fang, Rattata!"

"Does Rattata know Hyper Fang?" Taylor whispered to me.

"I don't think so…" I answered worriedly.

"This isn't really the best time to teach it," Benji commented.

Rattata opened his mouth wide, his large teeth glowing brightly. He clamped down hard on Golem's rocky shell. Golem didn't feel a thing. If anything, it looked annoyed. Rattata viciously bit as hard as he could while Golem simply tried to shake him off.

"Golem, fall over," Brock ordered inanely. Golem obeyed, landing right on top of Rattata, then rolling away from the fainted Normal-type.

"Rattata is unable to battle. The challenger has run out of useable Pokemon. Victory goes to Gym Leader Brock."

"I'm sorry," Brock said sincerely to Nico.

"No, don't worry about it," Nico said. "I'll just have to try harder for next time."

"I'll be here waiting."

* * *

"Don't worry about it," I cooed as the group of us walked out of the gym. My arm was around Nico's shoulders, an act of comfort and of lust. "You'll get him later." I looked at my watch. "It's just now noon. You could battle him again tonight if you really wanted to."

"Yeah! We could help you train some more!" Lauren offered.

"Thanks, guys, but it's fine, really. I just wasn't meant to beat him right now. That's it."

"Don't be like that, dude!" Nathan interjected. "You don't have to follow any schedule. Just go back there and kick his―."

"Let me stop you right there, Nate," Lauren interrupted. "I think what he's trying to say is that you're in control of your own destiny. You just have to believe you can."

Nathan scoffed. "I think my way of saying it makes a better impression."

"You know what, guys, can we just drop it? How about we go check out the Pewter Museum? I hear there's some pretty cool fossils to check out there."

"Sounds like a plan," I agreed. Maybe he just needed to clear his mind for a bit. The museum seemed like a perfect place for that. It could also end up being something like a first date for us. I crossed my fingers.

* * *

**I know I made Brock's Pokemon seem VERY overpowered for the first gym, but why would the gyms have different levels of difficulty in the real world? (Or as real as Pokemon can get) You can expect pretty much all of the Gym Leaders to be around the same skill level. Next chapter will probably be out next weekend, and will future some LoOoOoOoOoOvE between our favorite couple. :) Till then, review, review, review! :D**


	15. True Love

Taylor, Charlie, Benji, Lauren, and Nathan decided to go back to the Pokemon Center to hang out, claiming they were either too "tired" for the museum trip or, in Taylor, Nathan, and Charlie's cases, wanted to practice for the Pewter Contest tomorrow, which was admirable. I _guess_. In all honesty, I appreciated the alone time that Nico and I had now. I was really hoping to delve into Nico's mind, to see how he saw us as friends, traveling partners, and maybe even something more.

We paid the lady behind the desk at the entrance, then walked inside the expansive Pewter Museum. It was a large, Romanesque building in downtown Pewter City. There wasn't as much traffic around the building as one might expect. Really, it seemed pretty desolate and devoid of people altogether.

There were several exhibits, showing ancient rocks and fossils, skeletons of Aerodactyl, Bastiodon, and Rampardos set up sporadically, and displays on outer space and technology. I wasn't terribly interested in these sorts of things, but Nico definitely was.

We walked around aimlessly, me staring listlessly at the showcases, nothing particularly catching my interest. Whenever I turned to look at Nico, his eyes were glistening like a kid in a candy store, staring in awe at every fossil, reading the descriptions with deep fascination. He talked incessantly about the things he saw, more than I have ever heard him say in one conversation. I feigned interest in the museum, but genuine interest came from just being able to see Nico in this entirely different light. I quite enjoyed this new light, to be honest.

"Isn't amazing that this rock can show us what was around millions of years ago? Just think―at one point, Kabutops and Omastar ruled the earth, and then they were gone, and now all that's left are these fossils and genetic copies of them… It's so amazing!"

"Yeah…" I gazed into his glimmering blue eyes and smiled. "It really is amazing." I was speaking more of Nico than the museum, but I'm sure he would've appreciated both.

After almost another hour of looking around the museum, we decided to retire and go to an ice-cream parlor that was attached to the museum. We sat in the outside tables under an umbrella, protecting us from the early afternoon sun as we enjoyed our frozen treats. He offered to pay, but I had my wallet out before he could object. If I really wanted this "first date" to work, I might as well treat it like one, right?

"So you're really into all that fossil stuff, huh?" I asked between spoonfuls.

He nodded. "Yeah, ever since I was little. My parents would always have at least one extinct species of Pokemon stocked in the Safari Zone, and they became my favorites."

"That's cool." An awkward silence followed. I was dreading that this would happen. "So…what was life in Fuchsia like? It must've been fun to be around the Safari Zone all the time."

"Yeah, it was. My life was average, though, I guess. I went to the Fuchsia School of Pokemon, which was cool because a lot of field lessons were taught in the Safari Zone."

"That's really cool. So, um, who's Alexia? The girl you were going to travel with?" I gulped heavily at the question. There were very few answers Nico could give that wouldn't totally devastate me. And I mean I would be _devastated._

"Oh, her? My mom doesn't know what she's talking about…" He seemed just as jittery as I did, which could be a very good thing, or a very bad thing. "I mean, we were good friends, but nothing serious. Mom really exaggerated that one…"

I mentally sighed. It was a relief, but didn't completely reassure me. "Do―Do you have someone…like that at home?" I stuttered heavily, my nerves visibly showing.

"No. No I don't," he answered calmly with the smallest of grins. "I was hoping to maybe find someone on my journey. Someone who's the perfect type for me―I don't want to settle. I know that sounds kind of…condescending, but I don't want to spend my life with someone who's not _right_, you know?"

"Yeah, totally." I stared at the melted mess that I've been playing with for a while. "Do you remember back at Professor Oak's lab, when we were sitting in the back on the grass?" I asked unprovoked.

"Yeah, I do. That was nice. What about it?" His voice started off dreamy, then became distressed.

"Well, we were talking about Taylor's massive crush on you, then you said something like you could never love her back. What did you mean by that?" It was a question that had been bugging me since that day almost a week ago.

He gulped audibly and his cheeks flushed. "I―I don't know. It just kinda―came out, I guess. Why? What did you think I meant?" This conversation just got all kinds of awkward.

"Well…I―I don't really know what I thought." I then added, under my breath so he wouldn't hear, "But I know what I _wanted_ to think…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing," I quickly responded. I stood up. "Maybe we should leave? The others are probably missing us, and―."

"No, sit down." His tone was firm, almost demanding. I've never seen this side of him. His expression was placid, but his full lips were pulled into a taught line. "Please." How could I refuse an offer from him? "You said you knew what you wanted it to mean… What did you _want_ it to mean?"

I sucked in a breath sharply. I leaned my head across the table, coming face to face with the most beautiful boy in the world. His long eyelashes flicked the air, urging me to say something. I bit my lip and grabbed his arms. Not hard, but softly. Gently. Comfortingly. Lovingly. Like you would grab someone you were about tell your deepest, darkest secret. _Exactly_ like that.

I stared straight into his icy, yet warm eyes. "Nico, I just want you to know that what I'm about to tell you isn't going to change anything between us. At least not for the worst, hopefully. We'll still be friends and traveling companions, no matter what. I hope you'll be able to…accept what I'm about to tell you."

"Terran, please, just tell me," he pleaded. The intensity between the two of us was suffocating.

With a second's pause, I started. "From the first time I saw you, I was in love. I usually don't believe in love at first sight, but you were different. I fell head over heels, irreversibly, irrevocably in love with you on the boat. Since then, I've only fallen deeper. I've never felt this way about _anyone_―not even a girl. When you said you could never love Taylor…I got a glimmer of hope that maybe you and me were in the same…situation. That maybe we would have a chance together. Then your mom mentioned Alexia, and I was crushed. Just…I don't know. Just tell me this won't come between us. Tell me we can still be friends and that you don't absolutely hate me now."

Nico laughed. Not mockingly, or rudely, or even humorously. It was a wondrous sound. It was the sound that made the whole zealous and passionate scene seem like a fairy tale. It made my life a fairy tale. It made _our_ life a fairy tale.

"Terran…you have no idea how happy this makes me!" His words came out in a harsh whisper. "I can't believe this right now… I've felt the same way about you for _so _long now. On the SS Anne, in your cabin, when we locked eyes for the first time, I felt a connection I didn't think was possible, that only existed in sappy movies and romance novels." He laughed again. I started to notice people around us were staring, but they were the least of my concerns at the moment.

"You're kidding me!" I was so ecstatic, I was on the verge of crying. Nico…he loved _me_! The most perfect person in the world was in love with me, some beach bum from Vermillion who just happens to be part of the Murdock clan. We were in love! Honestly, the only way to describe that moment is indescribable.

People have been searching for love and trying to define it for as long as humans have been around. Scientists say it's certain chemicals in your brain, health classes call it the "birds and the bees," and pop songs confuse it with lust. On that day in Pewter City, I made the greatest discovery of all time: true love. There's bound to be someone who would say that it's impossible for it to be true love after only knowing each other for such a short while. Well, I'm here to prove you dead wrong.

I stood up, tears of joy falling out of my eyes with abandon. I grabbed Nico and pulled him into the biggest, warmest, and most passionate embrace I've ever given anyone. For a moment, time stopped around us. It was only us in the world. Nobody else existed, and nobody else mattered. Just Nico and I in eternal bliss. I was never going to let him go. Never.

* * *

"Where have you guys been?" Taylor asked accusingly asked we entered the Pokemon Center. We never stopped beaming the entire way over there.

"Just at the museum," I answered truthfully.

"Long museum trip," she observed.

"There was a lot of stuff to see," Nico added.

Taylor smirked. "I'm sure there was."

"Where are the others?" I asked.

"Still training. I gave up a while ago because I saw Metapod was close to evolving."

"So then why would you stop?" I asked incredulously.

"Everyone knows Pokemon have the most energy and power right before evolving. And plus, can you imagine how much higher I'll be judged if one of my Pokemon actually evolves during a contest?"

"You certainly have a plan figured out."

"I always do."

"Well, we're going to go back to the Gym," Nico said.

"No way? That's so great, Nico! Here, I'll grab the others so we can come with!"

"Actually, I think just me and Terr should go," Nico replied quickly.

"Why's that?" she asked with the same knowing smirk as before.

"To try to reduce the crowd as much as possible," he quickly answered. "To keep the pressure down, you know? But thanks so much for the support!" We left just as quickly as we arrived to end Taylor's interrogation.

As we walked back to the Gym, Nico asked me, "So, Terran, I was wondering if I could take you up on that offer from before?"

"What do you mean?" Suddenly, a Pokeball on my belt began vibrating, and then Bulbasaur let himself out, just like Clara does.

"Bulba! Bulbasaur!" he cheered happily and eagerly.

"I think he knows what I'm talking about." Bulbasaur hopped over to Nico's feet then looked up at me pleadingly.

"If it's okay with Bulbasaur―and it looks like it _definitely_ is―you can borrow him for as long as you have to!"

"Great! Thanks so much!" He gave me a big hug. "You're the best!"

I shrugged. "I know."

* * *

**Hey guys! Long time no see, eh? Hopefully I didn't disappoint TOO much with this chapter after being gone for... 2 weeks? 3? I can't even remember... This chapter was really special for me because I wrote the majority of it the day after Valentine's Day, when I was still feeling the same way Terran and Nico did for my own Valentine. :) Now that I've made you all vomit, please review, and I'm still accepting characters! Actually, it'll be a very rare time when I'm _not_ accepting characters, so keep 'em coming! Hope all of you had a wonderful Valentine's Day, and I'll see you as soon as possible! :D**


	16. The Pewter Gym: Part 3

_Nico's POV_

Love… I never thought it would come this fast, this sudden. Honestly, I'm still a little…apprehensive about the whole thing. Did I respond too quickly? Was I too eager? Am I even sure I know what love is? I mean, I'm definitely attracted to Terran, that's a given. Who wouldn't be? He's tall, muscled, has perfect sun-bleached shaggy hair, relaxing blue eyes, a countenance of confidence, warmth, and happy-go-luckiness that I long for…

I'm getting sidetracked. Basically, I'm positive I _like_ him, but I'm not so confident about _loving_him―if that makes any sense at all. I'm used to being unsure of myself, that's nothing new. As bad as it sounds, I prefer to have doubt. It allows me to be cautious, to ensure that I don't do anything to harm myself or others. Unfortunately, I think my doubt right now could cause more harm than help.

On the SS Anne wasn't the first time I've seen Terran―far from it. I've been following the Murdocks for as long as I can remember. They're my ultimate idols. I've looked through news articles and picture throughout the years chronicling the Murdocks' lives. That included seeing paparazzi shots of all their kids growing up―including Terran. I know I totally sound like a stalker right now―probably because I'm pretty sure that fits the definition of stalker perfectly.

I fell head over heels in love―maybe I shouldn't say love. Lust works better here. I fell in lust with Terran Murdock from the first pictures I saw of him. Even as an eight-year-old little boy standing in the middle of a stadium while his parents gave speeches to thousands of people, he seemed just as relaxed and collected as he always does.

I've been beating around the bush a lot, so I'll just outright say it now: I don't know if I'm in love with Terran Murdock, and I don't know if he's love with me.

How could he be? He's only known me for a short while. I don't think I'm that great to be able to be fallen in love with that quickly. He might find me attractive…but that's not nearly enough. A part of me seriously doubts his feelings. But another, much bigger, part of me believes him. His speech was so impassioned, with so much fervor, it would be hard for anyone _not_ to believe him.

Now that I think about it, maybe he truly does love me. Maybe our connection was so instantaneous, so strong, that our bond formed that quickly? Maybe I just _want_ to doubt his feelings for me so I don't feel as guilty for doubting my own? I'd really hate to hurt him, especially if his profession of love is genuine. Maybe subconsciously I want him to hurt me before I hurt him? Maybe because of that, I really _do _love him? Self-sacrifice, or something like that?

When I told him that I loved him back, I regretted it. I didn't regret it completely, like I think I would've rather died than say it―only a little bit. If I would have thought it out a little more, maybe even taken a day or two or eight to think it over, I could've given him something better prepared. Something that I had no doubts about.

I was so caught up in the moment, I couldn't think at all, and just blurted it out. If I would've even taken a second to consider what was being told to me, I could have said something totally different that would have produced a totally different outcome. But maybe because I didn't take time to think about it and it was the first thing I said, maybe I really do feel that way?

I've said way too many maybes now. This is what my mind is like almost all the time. And people wonder why I get so nervous…

Anyway, Terran and I were walking to the Pewter Gym for my rematch against Brock while all this was flitting through my mind. Bulbasaur's Pokeball was in my hand, shaking ever so slightly with the Grass- and Poison-type's excitement. As we approached the Gym, the large crowd of people that was there before had largely disbanded.

"That's nice," Terran said. "Now we don't have to wait in a line."

"Yep."

We entered the lobby and saw only a few Trainers in line. The same lady from before was behind the desk, registering the challengers and showing them down the stairs leading to the challengers' platform.

"Hey, I remember you," she said to Terran as we quickly got to the front of the line. "You beat Brock earlier today."

He gave one of his patented, dazzling Terran smiles. "That's me."

"Why are you back?"

"For me," I piped up. "I was going to challenge Brock to a rematch."

"All right, name?"

We went through the same process as before. She told me that because of the lack of Trainers now, I could just wait in the lobby because I would be up soon. Terran waved goodbye as he went to take a seat in the stadium. Maybe I just imagined it, but I think I saw him blow a kiss at me. Oh jeez.

Just like the lady had said, it was my turn in a matter of minutes. I followed the familiar staircase down, stepped on the platform, and waited for it to rise up.

"Next up, we have challenger Dominic Romero," the computerized voice announced. I gulped as the platform rose to the battle field. The stadium was significantly less crowded than it was before. I scanned the stands quickly for Terran.

"Whoo! Come on, Nico! You got it this time!" his loud voice rang from behind me, just like the first time. I turned around and gave him a quick nod and smile. I turned back around to see Brock. He stood with the same confident stance as before. He looked worn out from a day full of challenges, but still ready to take on anybody.

"Didn't think I'd see you again this soon," Brock said.

"I needed some convincing."

"Well, let's not waste any more time, shall we? Go, Onix!" The giant rock snake appeared with a vicious roar. I tried to keep my composure.

"All right. Charmander, let's start this off!" Charmander fought off his timidness and stood his ground. Until he saw Onix. Then he dived behind a huge boulder. I was counting on that.

"Onix, Rock Tomb!" I was counting on that too!

"Charmander, use Dig!" Dig was a move that I've never tried before, or even practiced. It was a huge risk, but a calculated one. Charmander looked at me confusedly, then noticed the rocks crashing down overhead. He frantically and awkwardly started digging a hole right by the boulder he hid behind. He had himself buried under the ground right as the rocks landed, shaking the battlefield. The boulder fell over the hole's opening, plugging it up. Perfect!

"Onix, use Dig, too! Then use Rage!" Onix screeched again as it dove underground, then started charging recklessly with the Rage attack toward Charmander.

"Okay, be quick, Charmander! Come back to the surface!" Charmander emerged eagerly, looking around anxiously.

"Come back up, Onix!" Onix followed the patch Charmander took, which I was hoping for. Onix burst forth from the ground, hitting its head hard on the boulder. Charmander sprinted away from the scene. The Rage attack coupled with blunt force of the boulder had Onix hopelessly dazed, struggling to stay upright. "Onix!" Brock cried.

"Now, Charmander, Metal Claw!" Charmander, with eyes closed and claws glowing, charged forward and swiped at the opponent. That was all it took. Charmander's eyes never opened, even after the hulking mass hit the ground with a hard thud.

"Onix is unable to battle."

"Good job, Charmander!" I cheered. He cracked on eye and saw the fainted Onix return to its Pokeball.

"Char! Char!" he cheered, literally jumping for joy.

"It's not over yet!" Brock called out. "Go, Kabutops!" Oh crap. "Use Aqua Jet!"

"Dodge, Charmander!" It was useless. The powerful bursts of water instantly knocked out Charmander. My good mood fell. "Return, Charmander." I sent out my next Pokemon. "Go, Rattata!"

Brock scoffed, obviously remembering the humiliating defeat Rattata had earned. "Very well, then. Kabutops, Slash!"

"Tops!" it screeched. Its sickle blades began to swipe towards Rattata.

"Quick Attack to dodge, hurry!"

"Rat!" He flashed out of the way, letting Kabutops' attack hit the ground. "Now, Hyper Fang!"

"Dodge, Kabutops!" Kabutops was too slow. Rattata latched onto the back of Kabutops' head, inflicting a significant amount of damage. Brock clenched his teeth. "Try to shake it off, Kabutops!" The prehistoric Pokemon tried to wriggle Rattata off, but his bite never loosened. If anything, it increased, causing even more pain.

I took in a deep breath as I ordered another very risky move. "Rattata, use Rock Smash!" The attack, if it worked, would be super effective and would end the fight. Of course, when you've never practiced a move, it's hard to say what might happen. Rattata let go of Kabutops and jumped into the air. His paws started glowing a bright white. He came down crushingly hard on Kabutops head. The two Pokemon fell to the ground in a large cloud of dust.

Brock and I both watched, drenched in anxiety for the dust to clear and revel the outcome. I bit my lip, almost to the point of drawing blood. Finally, the cloud lifted, and revealed Rattata and Kabutops both knocked unconscious. Kabutops from Rattata's attack, and Rattata most likely from using a powerful move way above his level of experience.

"Kabutops is unable to battle. Rattata is unable to battle."

"Return," Brock and I said in a chorus.

"So it comes down to this," Brock said as he expanded his last Pokeball.

"I guess it does," I responded, reaching for my secret weapon―Terran's Bulbasaur. We sent out our Pokemon at the same exact time. Brock's Golem stomped on the ground and roared with intimidation, while Bulbasaur simply took a battle-ready stance, ready for whatever command I gave him.

"Golem, use Rollout!" Golem jumped into the air, curled into a ball, and started rolling straight towards Bulbasaur. I couldn't let Terran's Pokemon get hurt. That wasn't an option.

"Bulbasaur, jump onto a rock, then jump over Golem and use Stun Spore!"

"Bulba!" He followed the instructions perfectly. As Golem was about to whiz past, he acrobatically jumped onto a high outcropping, then all but flew over Golem, sprinkling the yellow spores over its hard shell. Ungracefully, Golem came to a gradual stop, then flopped on its stomach, spread eagle. It tried desperately to move, but to no avail.

"Golem, come on! Try to move!" It was no use.

"Bulbasaur, let's finish this off with Vine Whip!" I was in awe. The scene seemed to play in slow motion. Bulbasaur's vines whipping furiously forward, striking Golem repeatedly. Brock screaming Golem's name. Terran cheering my name from the stands. It was surreal. It was one of the best feelings of my whole life as Golem was recalled into its ball.

"Golem is unable to battle. Brock has run out of useable Pokemon. Victory goes to challenger Dominic Romero!" I felt like fainting. I couldn't have done this without Bulbasaur's help. And I couldn't have had Bulbasaur if it wasn't for Terran. It was a feeling of pure ecstasy as the platform lowered and I ran out into the battlefield. Bulbasaur jumped into my arms in a huge embrace.

"You did great, Bulbasaur! Thanks so much!" Bulbasaur licked my face gleefully as I recalled him into his ball.

Brock stepped over with a big smile. "I must say, that was quite the battle. You must have some friend to let you borrow a Bulbasaur as strong as that one."

"Yeah. Yeah I do." I glanced over at Terran, who was no longer alone. Taylor was with him, having arrived just in time to see my victory. I guess she didn't trust us enough alone…

"I'm glad you came back for a rematch. It's now my honor to present you with the Boulder Badge of the Pewter City Gym." It was an out-of-body experience as I took the shiny badge.

"Thank you so much, Brock! This is beyond incredible!"

"Believe me, the pleasure is all mine."

* * *

**The first part of this chapter was originally going to be part of the previous one, but the chapters were getting too lengthy, so I cut it down. How do you guys like hearing from Nico's point of view? I'm thinking of changing a perspective a few times throughout the story, but the vast majority will still be from Terran's. Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed so far, and I hope to keep receiving them! :D Till next time~!**


	17. The Pewter Contest: Part 1

"Great job out there, Nico!" Taylor congratulated as the three of us headed back to the Pokemon Center. Nico beamed the entire way there. He had placed the Boulder Badge in its appropriate place in the badge case. He walked with the case open in front of him, just gazing at it with more pride than I've ever seen. It was adorable.

"Thanks," he said. "I didn't expect you to show up, but I'm glad you did."

"Like I would miss a chance like that. Now, you two are obligated to come to the Pokemon Contest tomorrow."

"Tay, we were already planning on going," I said.

"Really? That's great!"

"Yeah, we have to cheer on Charlie and Nathan on, don't we?" I received a prompt punch in the arm. I probably deserved it.

* * *

Back in the Pokemon Center, we had called our parents just to check in and endure more gushing by mine and Nico's mothers over our first Gym Badges. We let our Pokemon out after a long day. Bulbasaur, as usual, curled up at my feet, nudging me softly with his head as he caught a few winks. Shinx and Rattata found secluded spots by themselves, Rattata to take a nap and Shinx most likely because she didn't want to socialize with the other Pokemon. Squirtle was Squirtle and ran amok in the room. We were used to her by now. Charmander seemed to want to mingle, but every attempt he made was thwarted by something as simple as a cough. Metapod didn't do much of anything, as was expected for a Pokemon who had been training all day to the point of evolving.

The evening was very pleasant. We ate a hearty dinner in the lobby with the others, talked for a while, then headed back to our room for some shuteye. Nico was out as soon as he was under the covers. As Taylor and I settled into our respective beds, she started an unprecedented conversation.

"Why did you guys not want me to watch the battle?" Her voice demanded an answer, and I couldn't refuse. I could try to refuse the truth, though.

"We already told you. To try to minimize the audience so Nico wouldn't get nervous."

"You honestly expect me to believe that? I wasn't born yesterday, Terr. Now tell me."

She was very convincing when she wanted something. "Well… Um… Nico just thought it would be better if just us two went―you know, since we had some bonding time today."

"Just Nico wanted that?" She didn't miss a beat.

"Well, I mean, I agreed to it…"

"And what exactly kind of 'bonding' did you guys have in the museum?" Shit. ShitshitshitshitshitSHIT! She knew. She _definitely_ knew. I just had to play it cool. Maybe I could convince her the other way?

"We just…talked. About science and stuff. Nothing serious. Just two friends."

"Friends…" she repeated with a scoff and a smirk. "You were getting _really_ friendly that night we camped out just before the Viridian Forest."

My jaw dropped. I sat up in bed quicker than lightning. "What?" I spat. "You saw that?"

"It was kind of hard not to notice." Taylor's speaking level never changed. "You and Nico in a human pretzel, sleeping like babies. It was actually kind of cute. So now tell me again: What kind of bonding went on?"

I wanted to cry. Not in the funny, over-dramatizing the situation way, but I legitimately felt tears welling up behind my eyes, the pressure giving me a headache. "T―Taylor… You can't tell anyone…" I got out of bed and kneeled by the side of her bed, my hands clutched upwards as if I was praying. "Seriously, I can't let anybody know!"

"Know what?" Now she was messing with me. "I didn't say I _knew_ anything, but you just confirmed what I was considering." Arceus, she was evil. But evil in the best way. When I didn't say anything, she said, "It's totally fine, Terran. I swear I won't tell anyone. Unless, of course, you piss me off and I need some blackmail." I gave an unamused glare. "Jeez, fine, take a joke. But if you two want to have some 'private time,' please warn me beforehand."

"_Taylor!_" I screeched.

"Sh! Do you want to wake him up?"

"Oh, yeah, forgot…"

"Seriously, Terr." She swung her legs over the side of the bed to face me. "You're my brother. You know I'll always love you, no matter what."

"Really?"

"Really, really."

We didn't say anything else. We didn't need to. I rose up and gave her the biggest hug I've ever given in my life. She reciprocated, almost with as much fervor as a Blaire hug. The moment was the sweetest I've ever had with any family member. I almost didn't want it to end.

"Thanks so much, Taylor," I said after a long while, and after a couple sniffles. "I don't think I've ever tolerated you this much in my life."

"You're not too shabby, either, Terran." It was unconventional, but that was the truest form of sibling love we'd ever shown. I went back to my bed and slept wonderfully throughout the night. Not only did the love of my life know my feelings, but I also had the support of my twin sister. Awesome!

* * *

We had to get up extra early the next morning. I would've liked to sleep in, but after mine and Taylor's little heart-to-heart last night, I felt I owed her to see the whole Contest. Since the Pewter City Contest was expected to have a surplus of Coordinators, they decided to start it much earlier. We met up with the others, had a quick breakfast, Taylor, Charlie, and Nathan changed into their Contest outfits, then we headed over to the Contest Hall.

The Pewter City Contest Hall almost seemed like a clone of the Viridian one down to the very last detail. As the Coordinators got registered, us spectators took our seats as close to the stage as we could, which wasn't very close at all. The stadium had filled almost instantly. I considered us lucky to have gotten in at all.

The lights dimmed, save one spotlight on the stage. Melissa Chester emerged from behind the curtain with the same condescending gait as in Viridian. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Pewter City Pokemon Contest! As always, I'm your host, Melissa Chester!" The crowd erupted in cheers, sprinkled with more than a few cat calls for Melissa. "Thank you so much! Our lovely Contest will run just as it normally does. All of our Coordinators will present three appeals to our panel of judges, be awarded judges' scores of one through ten, then the top eight with the highest score will move on to the second round, the battle round! But before we start anything, let's welcome our three judges! First up, we have Pewter's own Nurse Joy!"

The familiar Nurse Joy stepped lightly onto the stage. She waved at the cheering crowd cheerfully as she took her seat at the judges' table. "I'm really excited to see all of the great talent gathered here," she commented.

"I am too!" Melissa agreed. "Next up, we have the head of the Kanto Contest League, Mr. Enrique Contesta!" The man entered sternly, yet warmly with a slight bow to the crowd. He didn't say anything as he sat down. "And our third judge is the curator for the Pewter Museum of Science, Mr. Gordon Mason!" An elderly bespectacled gentlemen with a cold demeanor entered. He didn't smile or show any emotion at all. He would be a hard judge to win over.

"And now, let's introduce our Coordinators!" The curtain pulled back, revealing a staggering amount of Coordinators, around fifty. It was difficult but I was able to spot Taylor near the front. I also saw Isaac, the kid from the Viridian Forest. Just seeing him put a bad taste in my mouth. I also remembered that I didn't see his brother Doug earlier. That got me worried.

"Let's begin the Contest! Our first Coordinator is Isaac Goldstein!" The other Coordinators left the stage, leaving Isaac alone with only his constantly angry and annoyed expression. I made an audible gagging sound amidst the sparse claps.

"I remember him from that first night," Lauren said. "Not really a nice guy, is he?"

"You can say _that_ again…" Benji murmured.

"Let's go, Scyther!" The boy's Scyther from his earlier battle with Benji came out of its ball rather reluctantly. "Scyther, fly up and use Air Slash!"

The Bug-/Flying-type followed the order. It flapped furiously as it reached the rafters of the ceiling, then let loose mighty and severe gusts of wind that sliced like blades. The attack moved over the audience, startling many, myself included. To say it was a powerful attack would be a gross understatement. If the audience wasn't so stunned, I'm sure there would've been copious applause.

"Now, do a nose dive, then use Aerial Ace with Stun Spore!" Isaac certainly didn't mess around. Scyther, again, dutifully followed its Coordinator. It got to impressive speeds during its descent, then right before hitting the stage, turned upwards with great intensity, leaving behind a thin trail of yellow spores that were swept away by the air currents into a brilliant appeal. As much as I hate to admit it, the kid had some talent. Some.

"Finish with String Shot, then use Fury Cutter!" The thick, silky string―that I didn't think was possible for a Scyther to produce―came out in a solid rope, only to be sliced and diced by Fury Cutter into tiny pieces, scattering across the stage and falling like snow. Scyther hovered back down to the stage and was promptly returned to its ball.

"Wow, is all I can say!" Melissa said. "An incredible first appeal from Isaac! Now let's go to our judges. Nurse Joy?"

"I think everyone here will agree that was a most impressive performance. I can barely put it into words! I very gladly give you a nine!" Isaac puckered his face like he had just sucked on a lemon. A nine clearly wasn't good enough for him.

"I agree heartily," Mr. Mason added. "You obviously worked very hard on those appeals. Unfortunately, I wasn't as dazzled. You get a seven." If a nine wasn't good, a seven was unacceptable. I could tell he worked very hard not to blow up in the old man's face.

"Like the other two have said, they were all very spectacular appeals. Though, I did find a significant lack of refinement and grace in the execution. I'm going to award a very generous eight."

"That gives Isaac a grand total of twenty-four, a staggering amount to beat in only the first round of competition!"

Getting through all the other Coordinators was an exhausting job. Especially for the judges, who had to endure both the worst and best of appeals. Charlie and Pru performed very well, earning a twenty-five, the new high score to beat. But by the time Taylor had appealed with Squirtle, the highest had risen to a twenty-eight, a surprising score set by Nathan and his Hoothoot. Taylor ended up getting a twenty-five, the same as Charlie. When the last Coordinator had appealed, it was anyone's guess as to who would make the next round.

"Now, let's reveal those Coordinators who have made it to the next round!" The scoreboard began flashing as it cycled through the profile pictures of every Coordinator. One by one, the eight spots on the bracket were filled. The first one, unfortunately went to Isaac. Then a girl who did very well, beating Taylor and Charlie's scores, then Charlie herself. Benji cheered loudly when he saw her face appear, then sank back into his seat with embarrassment. Nathan and Taylor also ended up making it, along with others who really performed excellently. Isaac was actually the person with the lowest score in the second round. There will be some stiff competition in this contest, unlike Viridian. Hopefully they could handle it.

In the very first battle, Isaac wiped the floor with the girl's Abra. I felt really bad for her as her picture darkened and Isaac moved up one spot. She took the defeat well, but Isaac's gloating afterwards poured salt in her deep wounds. The next battle would decided the next person to battle Isaac, either Charlie or another boy. I hoped Charlie would win, just so she could have the opportunity to potentially to dominate him.

In her battle, her Budew, Rose, excelled over her opponent's Milotic, maybe having a little to do with dumb luck.

"Rose, use Petal Dance!" The Budew trilled happily as she fired the attack toward the elegant and well-trained Milotic.

"Aqua Ring, Milotic!" A ring of water surged around the serpentine Pokemon, deflecting the attack. Unfortunately, after numerous Water-type attacks, the wooden stage began weakening under Milotic. A sharp creak of one of the boards distracted Milotic's focus, bringing down the barrier.

"Hurry, Rose! Petal Dance again! Quick!" Jumping at the opportunity, Rose launched the attack for the second time, ending the battle quickly. After her victory, she celebrated very reservedly, shaking his hand and giving a brief smile and wave to the crowd.

The next battle caused a lot of anxiety for all of us: Nathan versus Taylor. I hated to take sides, but I wanted Taylor to win really badly. Nathan sent out his Magnemite, while Taylor went with Metapod, hoping to have her plan for evolution to happen and earn her the victory.

The two gave each other friendly smiles before the battle started. "Magnemite, use Spark!"

"Metapod, Harden!" Metapod's skin flashed once as its defense spiked. The Electric-type attack didn't do much damage, but still affected Metapod. "Try String Shot!" Out of the top of its head, the sticky string went flying toward Magnemite.

"Dodge, Magnemite, then use Screech!" Magnemite easily evaded the attack, then swooped down toward Metapod and let loose a painful sound that heavily disoriented Metapod.

"Metapod!" Taylor yelled. "Try to focus! Use Tackle!" Metapod thrust itself forward, but missed Magnemite completely, causing more damage to itself. As it lay on the stage, though, strong pulses of light began surrounding it. The audience and judges watched in awe at the spectacle. Taylor cheered loudly. The flashes encompassed Metapod as its body drastically began to change shape. In a final bright flash, a majestic Butterfree flew up in the air, drawing oohs and aahs from everyone.

"It appears Taylor's Metapod has evolved into a Butterfree!" Melissa announced. "What an incredible sight!"

"Wow, that's awesome!" Nathan observed approvingly. Then he realized the type advantage he now had. Apparently everyone except Taylor also did.

"Does she know Butterfree is part Flying-type?" Nico asked.

"I don't think she does," Lauren stammered. "This can't end well."

"That's quite the damper on the good mood," I said.

"You can say that again," Benji agreed. "Poor girl."

"Magnemite, Spark, one last time!" The attack hit Butterfree, and in one hit, knocked it unconscious. Taylor's mood fell into the negatives.

"It looks like evolving wasn't enough for Taylor! The winner of this battle is Nathan!" Melissa announced. Taylor fell to her knees at Butterfree, softly whispering sorry to it as she returned it to its ball.

"Hey, I'm really sorry," Nathan said, helping her back to her feet.

She wiped away a tear, trying to make it look nothing. "Oh, no, it's fine. You deserve it. Really, it's cool."

* * *

**The scene between Terran and Taylor made me feel all emotion-y. It was gross. I kid! But seriously... Poor Taylor, though! But you can't win 'em all, right? So who will win the Pewter City Contest? Well, I know, but you'll have to read on to find out! And what happened to Doug? Find out next time, possibly later tonight if I can finish a shit ton of homework quick enough... As always, reviews make me extremely happy! :D**


	18. The Pewter Contest: Part 2

The next battle in the first stage of the battle round of the contest was a fierce stalemate between two girls, one fair and cheerful, and the other dark-skinned and brooding. Their battle lasted significantly longer than any of the others, the two Pokemon completely exhausted by the end. In the end, the dark-skinned girl's Ponyta finished off the other's Magby.

"That was the quite the battle, ladies!" Melissa announced. "I honestly thought it was never going to end! Congratulations, Jasmine, you will move on to the next stage of the competition!"

The first battle of the next stage was a nail-biter. Isaac versus Charlie. There was only one result most everybody wanted, but Isaac was going to try his best to not allow it. As the two took to the stage, Isaac's glare cut deep into sweet and innocent Charlie. She gulped and averted her attention. She reached for her choice's Pokemon ball.

"Eva, let's go!" Eva was an Eevee that appeared eager to battle.

Isaac sneered at the unthreatening Normal-type. "Scyther, let's go and end this quick!" Scyther appeared, blades ready to slice. Eva wasn't phased. "Scyther, use Fury Cutter!"

"Double Team, Eva!" Charlie commanded. Eva mewed cutely as several duplicates of herself appeared on the stage, surrounding a now hopelessly confused Scyther. "Now, use Quick Attack!" All of the clones sprang forward with lightning speed, but only of them caused any damage to Scyther. The others faded on the impact, leaving only the original Eva.

"Scyther, use String Shot!"

"Protect, Eva!" An iridescent wall of energy appeared in front Eva, deflecting Scyther's attack. "Let's try Shadow Ball!"

"Hurry, use Air Slash!" Isaac screeched. As Eva leaned back her head to charge the dark beam, Scyther swooped forward and hit her with the finishing blow just before the Shadow Ball would have been released. Eva was defeated, and Isaac was moving on. Just _great._

"Sorry, Charlie!" Melissa said, giggling at her own unintentional rhyme. "This is the end of the line for you. Hopefully we'll see you again!"

She waved modestly at the crowd as she stepped off the stage with Eva's limp form in her arms. Several audience members booed Isaac's name, which I enjoyed very much. Now it was up to either Nathan or Jasmine to beat him in the finals. But first, they had to face each other.

"Good luck," Nathan said with a flirtatious wink.

"Thanks," she replied apathetically. She must have decided to let her battling do the talking. "Ponyta, let's go again!"

"Magnemite, come on out!"

"Both Coordinators are using Pokemon previously used in this Contest. An interesting decision," Melissa observed.

"Magnemite, Supersonic!" Magnemite's confusion-inducing attack hit Ponyta dead on. The Ponyta struggled to stand on its feet, stumbling helplessly around the stage.

"Concentrate, Ponyta!" Jasmine urged. "Use Stomp!" Ponyta charged forward with one hoof raised, but collapsed inches from Magnemite, injuring itself greatly. "Ponyta!" she cried with worry.

"Magnemite, Thunderbolt!" Magnemite buzzed as its metallic body began charging the attack.

"Ponyta, Ember!" The sparks of flame that came from Ponyta's mouth fizzled out before they could even reach Magnemite. The charged up electricity then struck the incapacitated Pokemon, ensuring Nathan's swift victory.

"Moving on to the finals to battle Isaac is Nathan! Let's give him a hand, everybody!" He smiled at Jasmine, who simply returned Ponyta then departed. Clearly she wasn't the talkative type.

Melissa stepped to the center of the stage. "And now, let's begin our final round of battle between Isaac and Nathan! Both young men have fought hard to be here, but only one can receive the Pewter Ribbon! Let's go!"

Nathan recalled Magnemite as Isaac returned to the stage. They took opposite sides of the stage, Nathan not even attempting pleasantries.

"Ready to lose?" Isaac taunted, enlarging a Pokeball.

"Not really," Nathan retorted. "Go, Hoothoot!" Hoothoot came out of its ball flapping its wings, ready to perform any attack Nathan wanted.

"I was hoping you'd do that. Go, Pikachu!"

"After using Scyther for the whole Contest, Isaac is using Pikachu for his final battle," Melissa stated.

Nathan looked very distressed now. "Hoothoot, use Hypnosis!" His Pokemon focused a psychic wave of energy toward Pikachu, quickly causing the small Electric-type to drift off to sleep. Nathan grinned. "All right, now use Take Down!"

"Wake up, Pikachu!" Pikachu, just as abruptly as it went to sleep, woke up in a bizarre turn of events. How could Hypnosis have worn off that fast? Isaac must be some Trainer. Or just have a very powerful voice. "Use Thunderbolt!"

"Hoothoot! Try to stop!" Nathan's direction was too late. Hoothoot barreled recklessly straight into the super-effective electric attack. Before it could come close enough to strike Pikachu, Hoothoot had fallen to the stage with a resounding thud. And just like that, the battle was over.

"Well that was…" Melissa began, "a, um, speedy battle. Let's weigh in with our judges to decide the winner of the Pewter City Contest! Nurse Joy?"

"Both of you have performed wonderfully, that's very clear. Isaac definitely has lots of raw power but with little finesse, yet Nathan has a pretty even balance of both. I'm going to have to go with Nathan for this one."

"That's one vote for Nathan! Mr. Mason?"

"Isaac, easily. He is the one that _won_ after all. There shouldn't be any competition." This guy was a lot like the fossils and rocks he hung out with all day at the museum: cold, hard, jagged, and a severe lack of emotion.

"That means we have a tie! It is down to you, Mr. Contesta, to decide the winner, then."

I leaned forward in my seat, praying for Nathan to win, though that outcome was very unlikely. "Throughout this Contest, you two have certainly stood out for your respective achievements. Through his spectacular appeals, Nathan certainly is deserving of the Ribbon. Of course, for his fierce battling, Isaac is just as worthy. For this one instance, I am going to favor strength over grace, and declare Isaac Goldstein as the winner of the Pewter City Contest."

"You saw it here, folks! Isaac is our new winner!" Resounding boos echoed throughout the stadium. Isaac brushed it off as he rudely snatched the Ribbon from Mr. Contesta's hands. "I hope to see you all again at the next Pokemon Contest!" Well, that sucks.

* * *

"That's a bum deal, guys," I said to the Taylor, Nathan, and Charlie. "You guys deserved it _way_ more than that little…" I bit my tongue before any profanities could slip out. "Well, he's just not a very good guy."

"No, no he's not," Benji agreed. We walked outside of the Contest Hall into the bright mid-afternoon sun.

"Sorry for the battle back there," Nathan said to Taylor. "But you gotta do what you gotta do."

"Oh, no. I totally understand. And I would've rather lost to you than Isaac."

"I think most people would have. That guy really was a―." Lauren was stopped mid-sentence.

"A what? Huh?" Standing just behind Lauren was Isaac himself, arms crossed and an expression carving holes in our souls. "Come on, finish what you were saying!"

"I―I," Lauren stammered.

"She was just talking about how good you were in that Contest," Charlie quickly interjected. "Honest!"

"I wasn't born yesterday," he snapped back. "Just know that I'll grind you into the ground every chance I get." He turned to stomp away.

"Hey, what happened to your brother?" I quickly asked, remembering Doug's absence.

He scoffed. "I left him back in Viridian Forest. He was slowing me down." Before any follow-up questions could be asked, he was running down the street toward the Pokemon Center.

"Wow…" we all said in a chorus.

After a brief awkward silence, Nico asked, "So what are all of your plans now?"'

"We're going down to Viridian City," Lauren said. "Hopefully there's a Gym Leader there now."

"Hopefully," I repeated. "What about you guys?" I directed toward Benji and Charlie.

"We're heading to Celadon City," Benji explained. "I heard there's a place where you can win a Dratini there, and there's one of the best Contest Halls in Kanto." Charlie nodded happily.

"So you never really told us: why do you want to catch a Dratini so bad?" Nathan asked.

Benji sighed and glanced at the ground, then back up at us. "Well, it's my brother. I just want to prove to him that I _can_ get a rare Pokemon."

"Well, I hope you get it. Really." Taylor gave Benji and Charlie both a big hug. "We're going to go to Cerulean City. I hope we can see you guys again!" She moved on to Nathan and Lauren.

"Us too," Lauren said. We all said our goodbye as our three groups separated, each heading for their own destinations. Next stop: Cerulean City!

* * *

**And there you go! So Isaac won... sad face. Once again, thanks SOOOO very much to JessyBabe for letting me use their characters, Charlie and Benji! Sadly, this will most likely be their last appearance... double sad face. On the doubleplusgood side, (cookies to whoever gets that reference) I'm going to get Pokemon Black and White tomorrow! :D I've had it on pre-order since September, and I FINALLY get to pick it up tomorrow on the release date! I'll let you guys know how it works out for me :). Till next time, please review, and I'll see you soon!**


	19. Reunited

After such an extended stay in Pewter City, it felt good to be traveling again. Walking down the well-trod road, nature in abundance, perfect, sunshiny weather, and the company of two people who you couldn't imagine your life without―it was as close to flawless as one could get. After a few hours of traveling, the skyline of Pewter was out of sight behind us, and the first peaks of the mountain range between Pewter and Cerulean City began poking themselves above the treetops. The sun had begun to hang lower, and it would only be a few hours until we would have to stop for the night.

Nico, unofficially appointed as the navigator of our travels, studied the map carefully. "It looks like the entrance to the caves of Mt. Moon is about another day away. Looks like we'll be doing some more camping."

Taylor groaned melodramatically. "It would have been better if we'd stayed in Pewter for one more night." She crossed her arms and sighed.

"Jeez, don't sound so excited," I said.

"Okay, I'll try to contain my abundance of joy," she replied with an eye roll.

"Well, it looks like you'll have to try _really_ hard to contain _all _of it."

"Guys?" Nico interrupted politely, as always. "Is that who I think it is?" He gestured to two familiar figures sitting at a well-made campsite just off the roadside. Two _very_ familiar figures.

"I think it is," I said dismally, remembering our last encounter with Michelle Tsui and Brooke DeWitt all those days ago on Route 1.

"It _is _them. Terran, you need to hand that Michelle girl's butt to her this time, got it?" Taylor ordered.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," I whispered as Brooke began running toward us, waving wildly.

"Oh my Arceus, I can't believe it's you guys! I feel like it's been forever!" She wrapped us all in warm, comforting hugs, like long lost friends. "It's so great to see all of you again!"

"It's so good to see you, too! _Definitely_ too long!" Taylor greeted. "What have you guys been up to?"

Brooke shrugged. "Just the usual stuff. Probably the same things you guys are doing." She glanced back at her companion, Michelle, at their camp. She was sitting on a log with her feet up on her backpack, looking at us apathetically. "Oh! We just set camp and were about to start dinner. You all should join us!"

"Oh, no, we don't want to intrude…" Nico refused quickly. "We have our own food and wouldn't to―."

Brooke waved a hand dismissively. "No way! We have _more_ than enough food! Actually, we have _too_ much and need to get rid of it somehow."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm sure! Absolutely positive! Come on!" She ushered us quickly over to their campsite. They had a couple logs placed as seats around an already lit fire, and a spacious tent pitched off to the side. When we arrived, Michelle didn't make an effort to move.

"Hey, it's you guys again," she commented.

"Yep, it sure is," I answered with as much fake enthusiasm as I could.

"Wonderful." I couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or faking pleasantries. Either way, I didn't appreciate it.

"Well, sit down, guys! We have to catch up!" Brooke sat down next to Michelle while the three of us sat on another log. Brooke had ceaselessly smiled since she first saw us, and Michelle's expressionless face had remained just that. "So what have you guys been up to?"

"We just left Pewter City," I explained as I shucked my backpack to the ground. I reached in and produced my badge case. While attempting to sound as humble possible, but at the same time gloating to Michelle, I opened the case to show my Boulder Badge. "I got the badge from Brock the other day, and Nico did, too."

Nico nodded. "Well, I only got it with Terran's help."

I shrugged. "I guess I had _something_ to do with it, but you did all the hard work."

"That's so awesome you both got your first badge!" Brooke cheered. "Michelle just got her badge from Pewter, too, but it was her second." That was quite the buzz kill. Michelle smirked as she produced her own case, proudly displaying both the Boulder Badge and one I didn't recognize.

"I got the Marsh Badge from Sabrina back in Saffron City before I even came to the Oak Lab. I grew up around the Gym, so she must have thought I had already earned it. We didn't even have to battle. Pretty cool if you ask me." She snapped it closed and placed it back in her bag.

"Yeah, that is pretty cool," I said meekly as I put my own case back. Quickly changing the subject, I asked, "So Brooke, how are your contests going?"

She laughed modestly. "All right, I guess. I won the Saffron and Viridian Ribbons already, so I'm starting off on the right track. What about you, Taylor?"

"I just have the Viridian Ribbon. The Pewter Contest didn't work out so well for me," she said with a giggle.

"Aw, I'm so sorry! What happened?"

"Nothing I could control. People were just better Coordinators than me." That was strangely humble of Taylor… Maybe that loss impacted her more than she let on?

"I'm sorry," Brooke repeated. "Who ended up winning?"

"Don't be. And it was some guy―Isaac something. Not exactly the nicest guy around."

"We ran into him and his brother in the Viridian Forest, but he said he left his brother to travel alone," Nico explained.

"Isn't that, like, illegal? Because of the Companion Law?" Brooke asked.

"It is," Nico confirmed. "He could get in some serious trouble if he's caught traveling alone. Hopefully Doug's all right, though."

"And hopefully Isaac is arrested," I added with limited exaggeration.

Brooke's face visibly twisted in thought. "Hey, Michelle? Didn't we pass a boy in the Viridian Forest talking about his brother?"

"Yeah, we did," she said. "He seemed pretty peeved. Maybe because he was tied up in some Pokemon's String Shot and couldn't move."

"Oh, it was horrible!" Brooke shouted. "After we untied him, he kept mumbling about killing his little brother… Maybe it was the same person?"

"I wouldn't put it past Isaac." I nodded disapprovingly. "Maybe he'll get some horrible disease."

"You're not exactly his biggest fan, are you?" Michelle interrogated.

"Not in so many words, no."

A loud rumble came from Nico's stomach, disrupting the silent air. "Oops. I guess I'm hungrier than I thought. Heh…"

"I should start dinner, then!" Brooke began going through her bag, pulling out various utensils, pots and pans, and packaged food.

"Do you want any help?" Taylor offered.

Brooke smiled at her. "No thanks. You guys can go enjoy yourselves. It's no problem for me."

"I think I know a way to pass the time," Michelle said with a smirk. She stood and walked into an open area. "Up for a battle, Terran? I hope you've gotten stronger since our first meeting."

I was anticipating when she would ask. "I'm pretty sure I have." I stepped to a comfortable distance away from her.

"Oh, not this again…" Brooke groaned.

Michelle ignored her friend. "How many Pokemon do you have?"

"Three."

"Three? That's perfect." Michelle reached for her first Pokemon. "How does a double battle sound to you?"

"That sounds pretty good. You can choose first."

"Gladly. Come on out, Beedrill and Vulpix!" The two Pokemon came out ready for a battle. Not only to participate, but to win. Just like their Trainer.

I thought for a moment, then decided. "Okay, let's go, Pidgey and Shinx!"

"Wow, a Shinx in Kanto?" I heard Brooke say incredulously.

"We're still trying to figure it out," Taylor said.

Michelle was left unfazed. "Vulpix, Sand Attack!"

"Pidgey, divert it with Gust!" The dust Vulpix had kicked up was met with powerful gusts of wind by Pidgey. The move backfired when the sand was scattered all over the battlefield, afflicting all of our Pokemon. Shinx cried out painfully, violently shaking her head to clear her eyes of the sand. Both of Michelle's Pokemon were heavily disoriented, so I took my chance.

"Shinx, use Thunderbolt on Beedrill!" Shinx sprang forward out of the settling dust, sparks flying off her coat as the attack began charging.

"Shi!" she mewed as the bolt of electricity went straight for Beedrill.

"Beedrill, dodge, and use Pin Missile!" Beedrill maneuvered out of the way and launched several sharp pins at Shinx. The pins struck, dealing damage, but Shinx was still standing and now more encouraged.

"Ember, Vulpix, at Shinx!" The small sparks of flame shot out of the Fire-type's mouth.

"Dodge, Shinx!" Shinx didn't have enough time to react. Fortunately, she didn't need it. The Sand Attack hindered Vulpix's vision harshly, and the embers landed on Beedrill, sending it to the ground. "Hurry, Pidgey, use Peck!" Pidgey dived down on top of the injured Beedrill, her beak doing a super effective move just strong enough to make Beedrill faint.

Michelle sighed loudly. "Beedrill, you did good. Return." The fainted Pokemon returned to its Pokeball thankfully. "Spearow, you're up!"

"Rooow!" it cawed viciously.

"Shinx, Thunderbolt again at Spearow!" Shinx stumbled to get the attack going, and when she was finally able to strike, the bolt missed completely. I mentally kicked myself for my first attack.

"Vulpix, use Fire Spin!" A large ring of fire spurt from Vulpix's maw, engulfing Pidgey, Shinx, and, unprecedentedly, Spearow.

"Try to dodge it, guys!" I called, but it was useless. Shinx was hit dead on, now barely able to stand on her own feet, but still in the battle. Pidgey, on the other hand, had her feathers singed heavily and fell to the ground. Spearow also suffered some damage, but still remained conscious, unlike my own Flying-type.

"Pidgey, you gave it your best," I said as I returned her. I winced as I grabbed Bulbasaur's ball. He was at a disadvantage from both of her Pokemon. But I had to try. "Okay, let's do this, Bulbasaur!"

"Looks like this might be over sooner than I thought," Michelle taunted.

"Don't talk. Just battle," I said.

"Whatever you say. Spearow, Wing Attack!"

"Dodge it, Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur swiftly jumped out of the way. "Use Vine Whip on Spearow, but hold it tight!"

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur's vines whipped around Spearow swiftly, immobilizing it. Okay, just one more step in my plan. "Jump on top of Spearow, Shinx, and use Spark!"

Shinx limped over to Spearow and used the last of her energy to charge the final Electric-type attack that would knock out Spearow. Shinx was worn out as the electricity surged through Spearow's body, but it payed off when Spearow finally fainted. Bulbasaur also felt some of the attack, but Grass-types resist Electric-type attacks. A match-up I was thankful for and relied on.

"Return, Spearow." Michelle's confidence from before had severely diminished. It was down to the final moves now. "Vulpix, use Quick Attack on Shinx!" Shinx was so drained, that attack would've made her faint. So I reacted as best as I could.

"Shinx, use Bite with the last of your strength!" Shinx seemed to go into overdrive as she pounced forward, the ghostly jaws opening wide around Vulpix, then clamping down unforgivably. And not letting go. Shinx let loose as close to a roar as she could get, a savage animal I had never before seen taking over. Michelle and I both watched in horror at the raw power before us. Nico, Taylor, and Brooke had also perked up.

"Arceus…" Brooke breathed.

Vulpix struggled futilely, the pain it felt emanating for miles around. Finally, Vulpix's body went limp. "Shinx! That's enough! Cut it out!" She glanced back at me once, then at Vulpix's fainted form, then finally dropped the attack. My mouth was agape as I quickly and forcibly returned Shinx. Michelle looked at me like she had never before. It was hard to explain. There was obvious hurt―sympathy for her Vulpix―but also confusion. In all honesty, I was just as confused myself.

"Well…" Brooke broke the deafening silence. "Dinner's almost ready."

* * *

**Sorry this is a little late than when I would normally post, but life does get in the way sometimes. And by "life," I mean Pokemon White and a party I went to on Saturday night. I just got my eight badge, and so far, Pokemon White really is a refreshing look into the Pokemon world that was MUCH needed for the series. I give it a 9.5/10. The only reason it's not a full 10 is because of the HORRIBLE Pokemon name puns. But I digress. So what came over Shinx? Does it have anything to do with her mysterious past? You'll find out next time, where I'll be shifting point of view again - this time to one of the Pokemon! Until then, review, review, review! :D**


	20. The Pokemon Take Over

_Bulbasaur's POV_

I really love traveling with Terran! He's probably the best Trainer I could've gotten. Nico is really nice, too, and it seems like him and Terran are becoming best friends. Maybe even more. Is there something more beyond best friends? Hm, I'm not sure. Well, whatever they are, I support it one hundred percent! Taylor is just really fun to have around. She always has something to say that either makes me laugh or makes Nico and Terran blush. I like her.

The two girls whose camp we were staying at also seemed pretty nice, more or less. I know the pretty blonde one―Brooke, I think?―is really nice and everyone seems to like her. Michelle, on the other hand… I still wince at remembering the very first battle I ever had with Terran against Michelle's Spearow. Her Spearow was actually very pleasant and followed his Trainer to the best of his ability. I think that's an admirable trait to have. I hope Terran thinks that of me.

Right now, it was the beginning of twilight. There was a significant chill in the air and the sun had disappeared, but the warmth and light of the fire made by Michelle's Vulpix made it all better. The humans were sitting around the fire and decided to let all the Pokemon out.

Brooke healed all of us after Terran and Michelle's battle. Terran tried to stop her, but I knew he forgot to buy extra medicine in Pewter City, so I was glad she offered. Wow, it was an intense one! I'm still a little sore from it, and I can only imagine how Pidgey feels. She got beat hard.

I gobbled up the last bits of Pokemon food that Nico had set out for all of us, then went to sit with the others. Pidgey and Spearow seemed to be talking a lot and getting along really well, as were Nico's Charmander and Vulpix. Nico's Rattata was taking a nap, while Taylor's Squirtle was playing with Brooke's Aron and Sandshrew, while Michelle's Beedrill and Taylor's Butterfree watched from a high tree branch.

Shinx sat all by herself, away from the group. A part of me felt really sorry for her, but an even bigger part of me was scared.

"Hi, guys," I announced as I plopped down next to Pidgey.

"Hi, how are you feeling?" she asked concernedly. She gently and comfortingly brushed her wing's feathers across my back. In the short time we had been together, Pidgey had become a mother figure to all of us. She was the oldest and most experienced, even though it definitely didn't appear that way.

"Great after that Super Potion and all that food," I answered.

She smiled. "That's good to hear. It sure was a tough battle earlier."

"You can say that again…" Spearow inserted. "I thought that Shinx might barbecue me alive."

Charmander jumped up, eyes widened. "R―Really? Was it really that b―bad?" He then whispered, "Is she…evil?"

I laughed heartily, though I was the only one. "No, of course she's not evil!" I glanced at the foreign Pokemon several yards away, way out of earshot, cleaning her paws with her tongue. She appeared calm, docile. We've never actually spoken before, but she couldn't be _that_ bad.

"Who knows," Vulpix interjected haughtily. "She doesn't want to socialize, so why even give her the time of day?" Vulpix, I had noticed, wasn't the most cordial of Pokemon. In fact, she was almost to the point of being rude and condescending.

"Poor thing," Pidgey said with a sympathetic look. "Maybe we should go over and talk to her?"

"B―But what if sh―she freaks out again?" Charmander stuttered.

Vulpix laughed. "Come on, you're going to be a big Charizard someday, aren't you? You can't be scared of some sociopathic little Shinx."

Charmander gulped loudly. He tried to form coherent sentences, but all that came out was stuttered gasps of air. Before he started to hyperventilate and passed out, Pidgey wrapped her wings around his chest and gently cooed him back down into calmness.

"There, there. It'll be all right. Nothing's going to happen…" As Pidgey helped Charmander, the rest of us just watched the scene in a stupor. Vulpix, Spearow, and I tried to suppress our giggles, though we weren't very successful. It was a golden scene, to be sure. "Hey, be nice!" Pidgey cawed.

"Sorry, Charmander," I said. "It really wasn't that funny."

"Speak for yourself! I thought it was hilarious!" Vulpix howled. Charmander turned red and stared at the ground. Spearow rolled his eyes at his teammate.

Suddenly, the ground started rumbling very slightly. The humans didn't seem to notice, even though the fire shook lightly. Rattata opened one of his eyes. "Huh? What's going on?" he mumbled as the shaking steadily grew stronger.

Right in the middle of the circle we had formed, Sandshrew popped his head out of the ground, then was launched high into the air by another force from below the ground. Squirtle appeared, laughing obnoxiously as she watched the Ground-type land with a hard plop near a tree.

After seeing where she had ended up, she roared even louder. "Did you guys see that? Did you? That was so funny!" She pulled herself up out of the hole and sat down, continuing to laugh as Sandshrew hobbled back.

"That wasn't fair! We said no flying!" he whined. He crossed his arms.

"I didn't fly, _you_ did! So it counts!" Squirtle stuck out her tongue and laughed even more.

A couple seconds later, frantic scurrying was heard as Brooke's Aron appeared at the hole. "What happened? Did Squirtle tag Sandshrew?"

"I more than tagged him!" Squirtle stated proudly. "I made him part Flying-type!"

"Man!" Aron whined, stumbling out of the hole. She saw Sandshrew rubbing his arms, still in pain from the harsh landing. "I miss all the fun…"

"There you guys are!" Beedrill screeched as he and Butterfree flew over.

"Sorry, guys," Butterfree apologized to us. "We were trying to watch them so they didn't get in trouble, but then Sandshrew started using Dig and we lost track…"

"So it's all Sandshrew's fault!" Squirtle quickly blamed.

"I don't care whose fault it is," Rattata grumbled. "All I want is to go back to sleep. So if you could all be so kind…" He curled back up into a ball and started softly snoring.

"Meanie," Aron commented.

"Not that this hasn't been a ball," Vulpix began, "but I think I'm going to follow his lead and get some beauty sleep. Don't wait up." She stood and strutted over to Michelle.

I looked up and saw the moon high in the sky, not realizing how late it had gotten. "That doesn't sound like such a bad idea. I'm worn out."

Pretty soon, all the others agreed―Squirtle need some convincing―to turn in. Everyone headed over to the campsite. Everyone except Shinx. "Someone needs to go get her," I said. They all looked at me and said nothing. "I guess that means I'll have to do it…"

"Here, I'll go with you," Pidgey volunteered.

"Good luck," Spearow said.

"Please be careful," Charmander wished.

"Guys, she's harmless. I'm telling you," I repeated, though I didn't completely believe it.

Shinx was lying down on a patch of grass, even farther away than the last time we saw her. She was purring softly, though not quite asleep. I swallowed hard as Pidgey and I started walking toward her. I stopped a few times on the way, and Pidgey had to physically push me forward again.

When we finally arrived, Shinx was staring at us uninterestedly. "Hi, Shinx, how are you?" Pidgey asked amicably.

"What do you two want?" she snapped back without moving an inch.

Pidgey was taken aback, but continued. "Oh, well, all the rest of us were going to bed, and we wanted to know if―."

"No," she answered before Pidgey could even finish speaking.

"Are you sure? Terran would want you―."

"No," she repeated. She turned her head the opposite direction.

"Let's just go, Pidgey," I urged, already stepping back toward camp. She shook her head and went around Shinx to face her again.

"Why not?" Pidgey persisted. "Terran's your Trainer now, and we're your teammates."

"So? I've had Trainers and teammates before. What makes you guys so different?"

So she has had past Trainers. She must have been separated from her last one for a long time to have been able to be caught by Terran. The awkwardness in the air was thick, but I felt it was my duty to stay, even if I did just sit silently while Pidgey and Shinx did all the talking.

"You've had past Trainers? How many?"

"Two. Look, why am I telling you my life story? I know you two don't care."

"You don't know how wrong you are," Pidgey said.

"Oh yeah? Give me one reason why you're different."

"Well, we both are concerned for you, we want to know why you insist on alienating yourself from everybody else, we want you to be as successful as you can, and we really do genuinely _care_ about you."

"Tauros-shit," she spat.

I stopped being silent. "Hey, what's your deal? We were just trying to be nice to try to make you not feel like an antisocial, friendless jerk! No matter how bad you're last two Trainers were, that's no excuse! You have one really awesome Trainer back there named Terran who would do anything to protect you, and only wants us all as a _team_ to get stronger! This isn't some sob story where you're the main character trying to get fear and sympathy out of everyone else!"

I didn't know what came over me. I continued the tirade for I don't know how long. I was so blinded by rage, I couldn't even see Pidgey's shocked expression or Shinx's failed attempts at keeping cool. I had never said anything like this before in my life. I had never _felt_ anything like this before, either. Every stinging word I said hurt me probably just as much as it hurt Shinx.

By the end of it, I was winded. I panted and finally saw the effects. Pidgey had Shinx under her wing while tears flowed restrictedly out of the Electric-types tightly shut eyes. Pidgey looked at me dejectedly, then went back to comforting Shinx. Several moments passed without any noise other than Shinx's pained sobs.

Shinx, surprisingly, broke the silence. "I've never had someone be that…honest towards me." I was shocked at the reaction and at the sweetness of her voice. She lifted her head slightly to face me. "Nobody's ever said those things to me. Honestly, I wish somebody would have sooner. I know I come off as a tough-guy, but…"

"But what?" Pidgey asked.

She must have felt her vulnerability. She shook her head and stopped showing all emotion. "Nothing, never mind. Terran's coming over, anyway." She quickly dropped what could've been a revelation. I turned, and sure enough, Terran was walking over with our Pokeballs.

"Hey, what's up, guys? Having a little team get-together, are we?" He laughed. None of us answered. "Well, it's time to go to bed little guys. Bulbasaur, Pidgey, Shinx, return." He threw up the three balls, all three of us slowly being pulled inside. As I was sucked into the comfort of the Pokeball, I was still unnerved at what Shinx had shared, or what she was about to share.

We _needed_ to continue that conversation later.

* * *

**SO SO SO sorry I haven't posted in so long, but FFN has a VERY infuriating glitch that made it impossible to edit any stories of mine, but luckily through the help of a dedicated reader (pepperpizzapal) I found a way around it! I'm going to try upload the other chapter I've written in the downtime tomorrow, then a third one over the weekend, then we'll be all caught up. :) I hope you liked seeing the Pokemon's view of things. Please tell me what you thought in a review! :D**


	21. Speed Bump

I walked back over to the campsite after rounding up my Pokemon. It seemed like they were having a team meeting or something. It's good to know that that they're getting along so well. The others had all returned their respective Pokemon and where preparing for bed.

Brooke busily cleaned up the mess kits we used for her delicious impromptu dinner. We had offered to help her, but she refused, stating that we were the guests. Michelle simply stood by and brooded, nothing short of what I expected.

"So are we ready to turn in, guys?" I asked of Taylor and Nico.

The two nodded. "Definitely. It's been a long day." Taylor stretched her arms high above her head and yawned loudly. "Let's set up the tent we bought in Pewter."

"Already done!" Nico called out proudly. He pointed over to where Michelle and Brooke's tent was situated, and sure enough, ours was pitched and ready.

"When did you do that?" Brooke asked.

He shrugged. "I slipped off a little bit ago to do it. I didn't want to make it a big deal."

"Well, we appreciate it, man," I said with a smile his direction.

"Thanks," he responded with a slight blush.

Michelle got up swiftly. "Well, I'm bushed, guys. See you in the morning." She grabbed her backpack and trotted inside her tent.

Brooke rolled her eyes, then dutifully followed. "Goodnight, guys! Sweet dreams!"

"Goodnight!" Nico, Taylor, and I all headed towards our much smaller tent. Nico went in first, and when he wasn't looking, I gave Taylor an expression that asked something she automatically figured out. Maybe it was twin telepathy, or maybe her strong intuition.

"Um, Brooke?" she asked with a swift wink at me.

"Yeah, Tay?"

"Would you mind if I slept with you guys tonight? Our tent is kinda small, and plus Terran snores really loudly." She had to get her digs in somehow…

"Yeah, of course! The more the merrier!" Brooke opened the tent flap invitingly.

"Thanks!" She picked up her bag and pranced over to Brooke. "Goodnight, Terr," she said with a suggestive twang to her voice. "Don't do anything you wouldn't do in front of Mom."

"Goodnight, Taylor," I said abruptly then slipped inside to join Nico. Even thought it was a fairly cheap tent, it still protected us from the harsh night wind.

"What was that about?" Nico asked. He was already inside his sleeping bag, more than ready for a good night's sleep. Or as good as we could get on the uneven ground.

"Taylor decided to sleep with the girls." I rolled out my own sleeping bag as I explained. "I guess she wanted us to have some alone time." I tried to make it sound as innocent as possible, but Nico picked up on it immediately.

"'Alone time'? What do you mean?"

I slipped inside my sleeping back after taking off my belt and jacket and shrugged. "I guess it's whatever we want it to be." I smiled widely at Nico, but he didn't return it. That puzzled me. In Pewter we brought all of our feelings out into the open. Why would he have any apprehension at all at this point? It didn't make sense.

"Are you all right?" I asked after a long awkward silence of him staring blankly. "Nico… I mean, aren't we, like, you know…" I couldn't finish my sentence.

"Are we?" he asked rather bluntly. "Are we really…anything besides traveling companions?" There was almost a hint of malice in his speech. I didn't think that was possible for him.

"What do you mean?" I asked. I sat up. "Back in Pewter City at the museum, I thought we―."

"Well, how do we know it's real?" he interrupted. He _never_ interrupts. He just doesn't. What is going on?

"What do you mean is it real? Of course it is!" I leaned toward Nico, my hand reaching for his, but he quickly jerked away. That's when I realized something. He wasn't mad, he was _scared_. He looked at me with shaky eyes, sparkling with moisture. "Nico…" I breathed, but couldn't follow it up with anything.

"Terran, what happened back in Pewter…" he began, but he got caught up with a lump in his throat. "It was…spur of the moment. I wasn't really thinking clearly. I was just acting on impulse."

"Yeah, and?" I responded haughtily. "If it was just a reaction―a reaction of that caliber―then you can't get any more real than that."

"I know, I know, but I―I don't know…" He gazed off in a different direction as he chose his next words. I couldn't believe this! I had poured my soul out that day, and I was under the assumption he had done the same. I know everything I said was true―my love for him was as real as the air we breathing right now. Wasn't it?

After a few unendurable seconds, he spoke again. "I think I was just caught up in the moment and I confused love with something else. Maybe lust, or just overexcitement, but I don't think I gave you a truthful answer."

"What?" My voice all but squeaked the word. "So all that stuff you said about me was just a lie? You didn't mean any of it?" I've never felt like this before. I wanted to cry. Me, Terran Murdock, wanted to cry. How could this happen to me? What I had thought was the best experience of my life turned out to be just a lie!

"No, no no! Nothing like that! Everything I said was completely true. I really do think you're awesome and we have a connection that is unmistakable. I just don't think it's possible for us to really, truly be in love with each other. We've only known each other for a short time. Stuff that powerful doesn't just happen overnight, Terran."

I stared at the ground. I couldn't bear to look at him. "I thought the same thing. I thought, 'Wow, this guy is too good to be true just from his first impression.' Turns out, that first impression was all I needed to get a huge revelation." I forcibly pulled my line of vision to meet his. "Nico, I've never felt so strongly about anything else in my _life_. If someone asked me which was truer: the sky is blue or you fell in love with a guy you just met, I would say the second one."

"I think you're lying to yourself," he said all too frankly. "I really think you just _want_ love to be that easy. Unfortunately, it's not. I care about you _so_ much. I can't even explain it. I would hate to see you get hurt because you put all of your feelings out there, but I couldn't return it."

I sniffed. "So you're basically saying I'm stupid for saying all of this and you could never return how I feel. Great." I turned away from him. I couldn't deal with this―all of this. It was too much.

He leaned forward and put his hand on my shoulder. "Terran, that's not what I'm saying at all! All I'm saying is that it'll take time to get to the point where we can say we love each other―and truly mean it."

"I'm already at that point, though! I love you, and I could never love anybody else as much as you." I didn't think it at the time, but I was being completely irrational. I was like one of those pathetic girls who bawl their eyes out after their boyfriend breaks up with them after a week of "dating." I was being impulsive and stubborn, and looking back, I would've handled it completely different. Unfortunately, I was too caught up in my excessively melodramatic state.

"You can just say it," I spat. "Say that you didn't mean anything that you told me." I attempted to maintain an even tone. Nico tried to say something, but I cut him off, further proving my immaturity. "Seriously, don't try to tell me you actually meant it. If you did, we wouldn't be having this fight right now."

"Do you even hear yourself right now?" he seethed. "You're taking this the totally wrong way!"

"I don't think I am," I snapped back. "I think you're too insecure to admit anything that might leave you vulnerable!"

That shut him up. His mouth closed into a hard line. Not long after that, I full realized the damage I had done. All the pain I had inflicted on him in the last few minutes exited his body in a drop of water falling down his cheek, then splattering on the ground. It was like watching the sun burn out, or a having a Flying-type's wings clipped. It was the corruption of all things beautiful and sacred.

"Nico… I'm sorry…" I reached for his hand, and this time he didn't pull away. My fingers were able to travel on top of his hand, the warmth between our skin electrifying. He wiped his eyes with his other hand, then took both of mine in firm grips. We locked onto each other one more time. He didn't say anything. He didn't have to.

In a sudden rush of passion, he lunged forward, his lips pressing hard against mine. My eyes went wide for a moment, but then I let my eyelids relax and enjoy the moment of intense ecstasy. We stayed upright for several seconds, our mouths never releasing for a much needed breath. My hands roamed upwards until I cradled his head. Nico's own hands wrapped around my back, pulling our bodies ever closer.

I don't know how long we were like that, two virile young men expressing the purest human emotion. They say you're supposed to be a feel a spark or fireworks when you kiss someone that special to you. I don't think there's a force in the universe comparable to what we were feeling at that moment. When we finally did pull apart, both of us were panting heavily, but smiling hugely.

"That was…amazing," I breathed.

"Yeah, it was―."

"Magic."

He shook his head. "Better." We promptly started round two, but it didn't last as long.

"We should stop," Nico suggested―or dictated, rather.

"Why?"

"We need to move slower…to make this last." It hurt me to hear him say that, though a lot less than it would have two minutes ago. I'm not sure exactly what happened during that kiss, but I could now understand Nico's point. It was true I was probably more than a little impulsive when I decided I was in love with him. We definitely need to take this relationship slower and let it come to its full fruition. Who knows: we could end up being complete opposites and fight about everything.

"Okay," I agreed. "We'll act like that whole scene at the museum never happened." I gave a weak smile. I didn't want to do it, but I knew it was for the best. We both crawled back into our sleeping bags to hopefully get some sleep.

"Terran?" Nico shyly asked after a brief silence.

"Yeah?"

"Was that your, um…first kiss?" His voice quavered cutely.

I laughed once. "It was my first one with another guy."

"So you've kissed girls before?"

"Well, yeah. But none of them even came close to that."

"Oh, okay…"

"Was that yours?" I asked.

"My what?"

"Your first kiss?"

He paused and gulped. "Yeah."

"Like, your first, ever?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Wow, for real?"

"Yes, for real. Can we drop the subject now?"

"Yeah, sure. Seriously? You've never kissed before and you were _that_ good?"

"I thought we dropped it."

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Goodnight, Nico."

"Night, Terr."

One thing's for certain. Things will never be the same between us. And for once, that is a very, very good thing.

* * *

**There you go! Hopefully this makes the Terran/Nico relationship seem a bit more ****realistic. I'm trying to make this story as close to real life as I can get it, so I'm basing a lot of stuff off my own experiences, and unfortunately, since I am an impulsive sixteen year old boy, all of my relationships started just as quickly as Terran and Nico's did. This little speed bump should make for more realism to come. :) The next chapter will probably be out sometime during the week, so watch out for that. Until then, review, review, REVIEW! :D**


	22. On The Road Again

Even though Michelle had yet to actually raise her voice, all of us―Brooke included―were scared to make another sound for fear of being subjected to her wrath. This would be a fun section of traveling, I could already tell.

Waking up is always the most dreaded part of my day, even if it is only the start of it. However, that day, I couldn't wait to get up. After the little scene last night with Nico, I thought I would've stayed up all night thinking, but I slept like a Snorlax. I felt…good. Not excessively ecstatic about the current situation, but not mortally depressed, either. Just good. And that's just perfect.

As I yawned myself awake, I noticed Nico was already gone, his sleeping bag rolled up and backpack all ready to go. I heard a faint sizzling coming from outside, followed by the wonderful aromas of food. I quickly stumbled outside, still wearing only my T-shirt and the gym shorts I wore as pajamas.

Nico, fully dressed and bathed, toiled over a small fire, preparing the food we had brought as breakfast. He turned to look at me, and smiled. "Good morning."

"Morning," I mumbled with another yawn. "What are you doing?"

"Making breakfast. I figured I owe it to Brooke for last night's dinner."

I sat next to him on the log. "You're too nice."

"So I've been told. Though I'm trying to work on it."

"Why?" If I remembered last night correctly, he didn't seem to have a problem saying what was on his mind.

He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe so if I get really mad it doesn't shock people as much."

"What could make you that mad?" I asked with a chuckle. "You're probably the most easy-going guy I've ever met."

"Well, you're morning breath is starting to get me pretty upset…" he said with a ludic smirk.

"It's nice to see you're making progress," I replied with mock defeat. I gave him a brief smile and a pat on the back as I left to exercise my normally good hygiene habits. There was a small stream just behind our campsite I used to quickly wash off my body and brush my teeth. The water was freezing, almost as if there was an Ice-type living in it. I came back to camp feeling very refreshed and without an offensive odor.

When I came back, the three girls were up, enjoying Nico's breakfast. "Mmm! This is _amazing_!" Brooke squealed as she shoveled the food down. "Thanks so much, Nico!"

"Heh, not a problem," he replied, awkwardly scratching behind his head. "It is just some canned stuff."

"Hey, a meal's a meal. I have no complaints," Taylor added.

"Oh, Terran!" Brooke called as she saw me approaching. "Come on, Nico made breakfast!"

"I've never been one to shy away from good food," I stated as I sat down and served myself a plate. It became silent for a short while as we all enjoyed the food. I glanced around and saw Michelle was sitting off to the side with only a mug and a grimace.

"Are you eating?" I asked with false concern.

She just shook her head. "Nope. I just need my coffee." She gestured to the mug.

"She never eats breakfast," Brooke explained. "Her metabolism usually doesn't kick in till about noon."

"You guys certainly know a lot about each other," Taylor said. "How long have you been friends, anyway?"

"Oh, jeez, a long time…" Brooke said. "As long as I can remember. Maybe even longer."

"Our moms met at a birthing class," Michelle explained as if she were reading an encyclopedia. "Our due dates were within a week of each other, so they were pretty much joined at the hip. From the time we were born, we didn't really have a choice whether or not to be friends."

"That's cool, you guys!" Taylor commented. "I can't think of anybody that I've been that close to since I was born."

I coughed once, hoping she'd get the hint. "I can think of one person…" I said after waiting a few seconds for her to react.

"Really? Who?" she asked. Her button pushing skills were unmatched anywhere else in the universe. That was a fact.

"Oh, I don't know. You're twin, maybe?"

"That doesn't count!" she scoffed. "We're related."

"Only biologically," I retorted.

We talked for a little while longer, just about stupid and random stuff. Michelle sat by idly, only speaking when spoken to, usually by Brooke.

"So you really let a Tauros loose in a Poke Mart?" Brooke asked amazedly.

I nodded admittedly, yet proudly. "Yep. I still haven't gone back inside that store."

"How were you able to unlock the gate?" Nico asked.

"Our older brother, Seth, lifted him over the electric fence and tossed him a screwdriver we stole from our dad," Taylor explained. "I stood lookout in case the farmer decided to show up again."

"Do you remember what the farmer said when found out?" I asked while laughing.

"Oh my Arceus, yes!" Taylor replied raucously.

"'You lousy kids are gonna end up locked up behind bars with nothing but a Mawile's jaw as a toilet!'" we repeated in a chorus, erupting in laughter.

"You guys have too much fun!" Brooke commented through giggles.

"Did he really say that?" Nico asked. "What a loon!"

Michelle must have had enough of it. She stood up and proclaimed, "We need to leave right now if we're going to make it through Mt. Moon before nightfall. Let's get going."

The four of us looked at each other and silently decided to follow Michelle's orders. The fire was put out and all of the supplies were packed into our bags as swiftly as we could. Michelle stepped onto the road with all of us following like sheep. She began stomping down the well-beaten path toward the mountain rage situated in the north of Kanto.

* * *

**So... long time no update, huh? And all you get is this little piece of filler that's not really good for anything... I'm really sorry, but I've been so consumed in real life stuff, it's disgusting. However, this week is Spring Break, and since I don't have a lot of plans (because I lack a social life...) I can devote a lot of time to catching up on updates. Also, I have a super-secret-not-really-but-it's-fun-to-say-it-is project in the works a devoted followed of this story, pepperpizzapal. I'll let you guys know when it's time to release it! :D**


	23. Mt Moon: Part 1

The walk was fairly short, surprisingly. Not even two hours after we left the campsite, the looming figure of Mt. Moon was casting its shadow across the landscape. The entrance to the massive system of caves gaped open, daring any person brave enough to enter. That was exactly what we were going to do.

"You ready for this, guys?" I said. To be honest, I was excited to go through the caves. The thought of the possibility of danger, the spine-tingling chill of the cool cavern, the faint scuffle and screeches of wild Pokemon all had my adrenaline pumping.

"As I'll ever be!" Taylor and I stepped eagerly stepped forward, with Brooke not far behind. I felt Michelle's eyes roll as she followed us. I only heard four pairs of feet walking, though.

"Nico? Are you coming?" I turned around as the four of us reached the mouth of the cave. Nico stood with his eyes as wide as saucers as he gazed into the cave.

"Uh, yeah. I'll be coming in…a little bit…" he stammered. He gulped loudly.

"You're not serious," Michelle grumbled exasperatedly. "We didn't come all this way together just for you to chicken out."

"Hey, back off," I said strongly. "Nobody's going to die if we wait a second for him."

"I can arrange that," she snapped back.

"No, no, guys, it's fine. I―I can do it." Nico stepped forward cautiously. His expression had yet to change from its permanent look of, not fear, but dread.

"Nico, if you don't want to―," Brooke began, but was cut off.

"No, I want to. It's just… Actually, it's nothing." He shook his head and put on a fake look of assurance. "Let's go."

"If you're sure," I said, feeling like a concerned parent talking to my child.

"I am," he responded. "I just have this…thing for the dark, is all. I'm sure I'll be fine."

"That's it? That's _it_?" Michelle all but screeched. "You don't want to go through the caves because you're scared of the _dark_?" Her fists were clutched and her teeth were clenched shut.

Before Taylor or I could interrupt a possible tirade, Nico spoke for himself. "Yes. Yes, I am afraid of the dark. Just not as much as you're afraid of Dragon-types."

"What?" Taylor and I yelled at the same time. Michelle suddenly became very silent and defensive, crossing her arms tightly over her chest and pressing her lips into a thin line. Brooke stared at the ground embarrassedly. Upon seeing the reaction, Nico smirked ever so slightly.

"Who told you that?" Michelle asked. Not maliciously, not dejectedly.

"Does it matter? I'm sure if we were going through the Dragons' Den in Blackthorn City, you'd be peeing your pants." His words were harsh, but his countenance remained even, and just like the Nico I had always known. It was a surreal. "I'm not asking for a lot, just respect, no matter how cliche that sounds. So can you please just lay off?" Towards the end, his voice began to falter as he realized what an impact his speech was having on Michelle, or lack thereof.

Michelle stared at him for a second. Even her penetrating gaze couldn't pierce Nico's cute, ingenue demeanor. "I don't know who told you about that, but I don't care. Let's just get through this, and then we never have to see each other again. Okay?"

"That sounds perfect," he responded.

I didn't even know what to think of that conversation. The variance of inappropriate emotion, the randomness of the outbursts―it was making my head hurt just trying to sift through what all had happened in that couple of minutes. It appeared that Brooke and Taylor were sharing my struggle.

Michelle stormed inside the cave first, with the rest of us following dutifully. I walked a little closer to Nico than I would have normally. As we entered, the light was almost instantly sucked away and we were suffocated in darkness. The warmth of the sun was replaced by the chilling echos of wind bouncing off of rock coming from long forgotten regions of the earth's crust.

I heard Nico whimper as the dark enveloped him. I was torn between two options: comfort him, but go against his wishes of taking our relationship slowly; or not comfort him and feel guilty for it for a long time to come. I didn't have a lot of time to rationalize my actions, so I went with instinct.

My arm brushed against his, bare skin providing a comforting warmth in the musky cavern. Then, without being too forward, my fingers slowly intertwined with his own shaking fingers. When he didn't react negatively, I clasped our hands tightly together. Even thought it was pitch black and we couldn't see, I smiled in his direction, and I imagined he did the same to me. I wish I could describe the feeling without using cliche vomit, but that was exactly what it was.

"All right, Vulpix, come on out and use Flash!" I heard Michelle command. The beam of scarlet light briefly illuminated the area. I took that as my cue to drop Nico's hand. It hurt. It hurt a lot to let go, but it was necessary. If enough time would pass, though, then we could hold each other's hands and never let go, no matter who saw.

"Vul!" the Fire-type purred as her body began glowing brightly, bathing the entire cave in light. The cave was utterly unremarkable. Large rock lined the ground, thin stalactites hung from the ceiling, the smell of dirt and dust swirled around in a continuous cycle. Nothing spectacular, by any means. Up ahead, the path twisted and turned, but stayed pretty consistent without much variation.

"Good job, Vulpix. Now, lead the way out."

"Pix!" she mewed. With her nose in the air and occasional disgusted glances at the dirtiness of the cave, Vulpix trotted through the cave with us group of humans following her gift of light. Walking through the cave was really a disappointment. It was agonizingly boring and unquestionably repetitive. The same rocks, the same dank scent, the same annoying Zubats flitting around, trying to intimidate, only to be scared away with an Ember attack from Vulpix.

"These things will be the death of me," I muttered through gritted teeth as another one screeched away from the extremely weak Fire-type attack.

"Really, now?" Taylor tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe we can arrange a Zubat swarm…"

"Has anyone every told you that you are like the evil incarnate?"

"It's a title I take with pride."

"I wish I had a sibling," Brooke said longingly. "Your banter always sounds so fun!"

"Well, you have Michelle, don't you?" I suggested, attempting to get under Michelle's skin. "The way you guys talk about each other, you sound as close as sisters."

"Oh, well, I guess, yeah…" she stuttered, awkwardly giving Michelle an apologetic glance. She didn't react.

"I don't have any siblings, either," Nico added. "I guess growing up in the Safari Zone, I didn't really need them."

"That is still so cool to me!" Brooke commented. "Your parents own the Safari Zone, so you get to be around rare Pokemon all the time… Oh, it sounds like heaven!"

"Yeah, it's pretty nice," he said with a short laugh. "I was never lonely, that's for sure."

"Neither was I," Michelle said unexpectedly. The four of us looked at her with surprise, but she just continued to stare forward as we trekked through the cave. "But I would've given anything for some alone time."

"Why?" Taylor asked. "Did you have a big family?"

"Understatement of the century," she replied plainly. "My mom's actually pregnant right now. I guess eleven kids just wasn't enough," she ended with an eye roll.

"Wow! Twelve kids? That's enough for a full soccer team, plus a substitute!" she declared.

"Ooh, sports teams. How original," Michelle groaned. "Though, I do have to give you credit for not saying some of the others we get. 'Two basketball teams and two refs,' 'a baseball team with three umpires.'"

"Oh, uh, sorry," Taylor said sheepishly.

Michelle didn't acknowledge the apology. "I can't even remember the last time I spent a full day at home. I was either at Brooke's house, some other friend's house, or at the Saffron Gym."

I stopped myself from making the obvious comment of, 'She has other friends?' "That's kind of sad, Michelle. Is it just because there's so many people in one place?"

"Nope, not that at all. They all just, for the most part, annoyed the hell out of me." If she could get any blunter, she might as well be a sledgehammer. "It's not like I was unnoticed or neglected, nothing like that all. My parents are really awesome people when it comes to stuff like that. But there's one person I always needed to connect with, but I never could at home: myself. When you have little brothers and sisters running around, constantly screaming or crying, and the older ones never shutting up… It gets tiresome."

Brooke stood by silently, nodding occasionally to let Michelle know she was paying attention. "I've been around her family a few times before. It's like the Brady Bunch, times two, minus Alice, times the Simpsons."

"That's…one way to put it." Michelle shook her head and continued speaking. "I looked up to Sabrina all through my life. She was more of a role model to me than either of my parents could ever be. She understood that the only person you have to be true to is yourself. Naturally, I trained under her at the Gym, though I didn't really share the strong connection to Psychic-types. Right before I left, like I said before, Sabrina gave me the Marsh Badge, confident that I had earned it, even without a battle."

"Wow, that's such a cool story, Michelle," Nico said, his voice several tones lower. It seemed that her story had affected him pretty deeply. I, however, was uninterested. "I've had some interaction with Gym Leaders, but nothing like that. I think the most I've ever said was asking Lt. Surge how he trained Electric-types without any rubber gloves!"

A couple laughs sounded from the comment, but Taylor and I remained rather melancholy. Lt. Surge was a hometown hero of Vermillion, and hearing about his passing―even if Seth did become the new Gym Leader afterwards―was hard to swallow.

"What's with you guys?" Michelle asked frankly.

"Well, I'm sure you've heard of what happened to Lt. Surge, right?" Taylor asked the two.

"Oh, yeah. I saw it on the news the other night," Brooke said. She frowned and gave us both comforting hugs. "I'm sorry. You must have been really close to him, since he was your city's Gym Leader and all."

"I guess you could say that," I responded. "He was a family friend, for sure."

"Have you heard about the guy who took his place?" Michelle asked haughtily. "Some guy who didn't even travel as a Trainer. He just trained in the Vermillion Gym straight out of school. What a joke. And I'm sure his famous parents pulled some strings."

"I've heard that guy's actually a pretty decent person," I defended. "I've also heard he's probably one of the most skilled Trainers of his generation. Plus, he must have been pretty good for the Indigo League to allow him to become a Leader without any traveling experience."

"And," Taylor added heatedly, "I don't think you know enough about him to give a fair assessment. At all."

"What? Do you guys know him or something?" Michelle asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He's our brother," we replied at the same time.

The group stopped walking. Vulpix didn't notice and continued a few steps, leaving us in darkness for a moment until she trotted back over to Michelle's side. Mine and Taylor's glares focused in on Michelle while Nico and Brooke stood as spectators, both wincing at the tension.

"Is that so?" Michelle took a step closer with a crooked smile. "So that means you two are the kids of the famous Murdocks, aren't you?"

"I guess it does," Taylor said. "But our parents don't matter. I earned my ribbon all by myself, and I lost one just the same."

"Same with me," I interjected. "We earn whatever we get through our own accomplishments―our parents don't have any part of that. All of us are like that, even Seth, the Gym Leader I'm _sure_ will give you a run for your money."

Michelle looked at the ground and sighed. Her almond shaped, perforating brown eyes slowly drifted up to meet us. "You just don't get it, do you? You might not realize―heh, of _course_ you don't realize it―but you're pretty much set up for success. Two parents that have been region Champions, being in the spotlight since before you were born. Gym Leaders and contest judges have been _dying_ for you to challenge them, simply because of those facts. Hell, the Indigo Plateau probably already has spots for you guys in the Indigo Conference and Grand Festival."

I've never wanted to hit a girl more in my life. Not even Taylor, not even the girl who sat behind me in class and would cheat off me, then get better grades. My fists were clenched so hard, my fingernails threatened to draw blood from my palms. There was a stinging behind my eyes as the fury bubbled up. I could only imagine that Taylor felt the same, or even more so.

"Michelle, let's just drop this," Brooke urged, nearly getting on her knees and begging.

"Yeah, please, guys?" Nico pleaded of Taylor and I. "We need to stay civil―at least until we get out of this cave."

"Psh, you're one to talk about being civil," Michelle scoffed. "Calling me out for being scared of Dragon-types? Talk about a low blow."

"He was only defending himself after you made a big deal out of him being scared of the dark!" I shot back.

"Because that was actually relevant to the situation." Michelle never raised her voice. It was eery how she kept herself under such control. "He would've held us back. But my phobia had nothing to do with it. And I still don't know who told you, either."

Brooke meekly coughed. "Uh, I might have something to do with it."

"You do?" Michelle said accusingly. "Why'd you tell him?"

"Well, it was early this morning, when you and Taylor were still sleeping and Terran was getting ready. He was making breakfast, and I just let a couple things slip…"

"What other things do you know, then?" she directed at Nico. "Do you know my favorite food? My secret crush? My bra size?"

"Look, it doesn't matter," he silenced. "I only brought up that because it didn't seem fair that you could deride me for something trivial, something that easily could have been taken care of."

"Fair enough. Come on, Vulpix." She started walking down the cave with Vulpix reluctantly following, leaving us four in the dark.

"Where are you going?" Brooke called after her.

"Cerulean City. You might want to hurry up if you want to get out of here," she answered back.

"I―I'm so sorry guys. _So_ sorry," Brooke told us sincerely.

"No, it's fine," I said. "You can go, we won't hold it against you." I gave her a reassuring smile. After all, we did like her. But her companion, not so much.

She nodded and ran after Michelle. Soon enough, we were shrouded in darkness again. I felt Nico physically tremble next to me.

"Well," Taylor breathed, "isn't this a box of chocolates?"

* * *

**Bet you didn't expect an update so soon! Well I guess I just proved you wrong! :D But I guess that's what happens when you're bored out of your mind... I actually thought this was a pretty successful chapter. What do you guys think? Hopefully the group will be in Cerulean by the next update. Until then, I set up a poll on my profile where guys can vote for where you want the story to go! I have lots of ideas/plot points to make in all of the choices, so anywhere is good! So please VOTE, and, as always, REVIEW! :D**


	24. Mt Moon: Part 2

"What do we do now?" I asked no one in particular.

"Send out Shinx," Taylor said. "She can make some light."

"Worth a shot," I said. "Let's try this out, Shinx." I grabbed at her Pokeball, but as soon as my fingers touched the smooth surface, a small shock of electricity shot through my hand. "Ow! I guess she doesn't want to come out…"

"Guys, can we please figure something out. Soon?" Nico had moved increasingly closer to me until he was clutching my chest, which I didn't mind one bit.

I rubbed his back. "Don't worry, man. We'll be all right. Hey! What about Charmander? His tail flame should be enough so we can at least see our way out of the cave."

"Okay, okay." He quickly tossed Charmander's ball to the ground. The skittish Fire-type provided just enough light to see a few feet in each direction. It wasn't nearly as convenient as Vulpix's Flash, but at least it was something.

"Char?" Charmander glanced around nervously. "Char! Char! Mander! Char!" it cried melodramatically. If Nico was scared of the dark, I should have expected Charmander to be petrified. Sure enough, he was.

"Sh, sh. Calm down," Nico cooed to his starter Pokemon. He knelt next it, gently rubbing his scaly skin. The cries had only become soft whimpers, but it was still exponentially better. "Now, we're going to need your help to get through this cave, 'kay?" Charmander nodded solemnly. "We're not going to let anything happen to you. Nothing bad is going to happen. We'll keep you safe." Nico would be a great father someday. Honestly, I felt a bit insecure watching Nico epitomize the perfect Pokemon-Trainer relationship.

Nico stood back up with a wide smile. "I think we're ready to head out. Lead the way, Charmander!"

Charmander gulped. "Char…" He began waddling through the cave, the three of us following closely behind to stay in the space illuminated by his tail. We moved a lot slower than we did when traveling with Brooke and Michelle, but at least we were moving.

"You're doing great, Charmander," Taylor encouraged from behind. Charmander glanced over his shoulder with a small grin.

As we marched on, Charmander gradually became more comfortable in his leadership position. The first time we ran into a Zubat, Charmander ran and hid behind a rock, but after realizing they were just petty annoyances, he was able to keep them away with an Ember attack of higher power than Vulpix.

Several minutes later, which felt like an hour, we were still trudging through the caves. It's not like we got lost―the path was incredibly linear. It was just long and arduous to walk through. If I was bored of Mt. Moon before the spat with Michelle, I don't even know how to describe my lack of life at that moment. Finally, something happened that at least got me to show some emotion.

"Oof!" Taylor grunted as she fell forward and hit the ground.

"Are you all right?" Nico asked as he helped her up.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she grumbled as she brushed herself off. "I'll live."

I couldn't hold it in any longer. I bust up laughing. It was nice to see Taylor in a compromising position. If only I had had a camera.

"It wasn't _that_ funny!" she snapped as she got up.

"It was pretty funny!" I started laughing again as I took my first step. That was the only step I could take before I was face down in the dirt, just as Taylor was moments before.

Now it was Taylor's turn to laugh. "Not so funny, is it?"

"Shut up," I mumbled. Suddenly, I heard a noise, like a wail of pain. "Did you guys hear that?"

"Yeah, I did hear something earlier when Taylor first fell," Nico said. We became silent as we listened for the sound. A faint "Nii…" echoed in the cave.

"It's definitely coming from over here," Taylor gestured to where she first fell.

"Charmander, can you come over here?" Nico called to his Pokemon. Charmander cautiously walked over, putting his tail in the specified area. What we saw made all of our jaws drop.

A circle of a dozen, maybe more, Geodude all were huddle around together like a barrier. I looked at where I was standing and saw one of the Geodudes wobble back over to the formation.

"Geo. Dude. Geo. Dude," they all chanted in unison.

"What are they doing?" Taylor asked. "It looks like they're circling something, but I can't tell."

"I'll check," I volunteered. I stepped to the edge of the barricade of Rock- and Ground-type Pokemon and peered into the center. The weak cries of pain were definitely coming from the center. I leaned a little farther over, but that proved to be a bad idea.

"Geodude!" the one nearest to me called as it slammed its hand down on my foot. I yelled several profanities at the top of my lungs as I fell backwards, clutching my throbbing foot.

"What was that for?" I screeched at the offending Geodude. It didn't say anything as it turned back around to its position in the wall.

"They're definitely protecting something," Nico observed.

"But what?" Taylor asked.

"There's something hurt in the center," I breathed out between winces of pain.

Taylor smiled. "I'll see what I can do."

"What could you do any better?" I asked.

"I'm a girl," she answered proudly. "They won't be as threatened by me. Plus I have a natural way with Pokemon." She got on her hands and knees and crawled over to the Geodudes. She smiled warmly at the Pokemon as she encroached. "Hi, little guys. Mind if I see what you have back there?"

Like clockwork, four Geodude turned around in sync, all with their arms raised and ready to strike. Taylor's eyes grew three times as big, then, quicker than I've ever seen her move, she sprinted back away from the Pokemon.

"Nice job," I said mockingly. "You're 'natural way' really showed."

"Shut it."

"Guess third time's the charm," Nico said. He approached just like Taylor and I had, but he did something different. I couldn't tell what he did differently, but it must've been something because the Geodude reacted positively. "Hey, do you mind if I see what's hurt? I could help it." Maybe it was the way he talked to the Pokemon, or maybe Pokemon just instantly trusted him, who knows. But whatever it was, it worked.

The group of Geodude all looked at each other amongst themselves. They all nodded. A few of them rolled out of the way, making a pathway allowing Nico to enter the ring. He crawled forward, and that's when he saw what they were guarding.

"Oh my…" He reached down and picked up the small, limp form. It winced in pain, but once Nico stood up and was walking back toward us, the whines diminished. "You guys," he called out in disbelief, "the Geodude were protecting an injured Nidoran!"

"Really?" I said.

"That's so nice of them," Taylor commented. She waved pleasantly at the Geodude, but only received more threatening glares.

"Yeah, it is." Nico held out the Pokemon in the glow of Charmander's tail. It was light blue with smaller quills, indicating it was a female. The Nidoran had several scrapes and bruises around her body, and a steady stream of blood flowed from her right foreleg. Her eyes were clenched shut and her chest barely moved as she struggled to breathe.

"Oh, she's in bad shape," Taylor said. "Come on, we have to get to a Pokemon Center, fast!"

"Yeah, let's go," I urged. We started to continue through the cave again at a much quicker pace.

"Goodbye, guys!" Nico called after the Geodudes. "You really helped a lot protecting Nidoran!"

"Geo! Geodude!" they called cheerfully as we began running out of the cave. They dispersed and rolled to wherever they were before they got caught up protecting the injured Nidoran.

"Those Geodude were really nice to do that," I said. Charmander struggled to keep up with our pace to guide our path, but I'm sure he understood the urgency of the situation and didn't mind.

"It sure was," Nico agreed. He looked down at the pitiful Pokemon in his arms. "You sure do have some great friends."

"How much longer till we're out of this cave?" I asked.

"I'd say about―," Nico began to answer.

"Here!" Taylor shouted. Up ahead, a small window of light began shining into the cave. As we approached, the light grew bigger until we recognized it as the exit of the cave.

"Awesome! Cerulean's not much farther outside of the cave, so we can get Nidoran to the Pokemon Center as soon as possible," Nico explained.

"That's g―." I couldn't finish my thought. I fell to the ground, again. "What _is_ this? If there's another swarm of Geodude, I'm gonna…" With the fair amount of mid-afternoon sunlight streaming into the cave now, I could examine what I had tripped over more carefully.

"Hurry up!" Taylor ordered. "We don't have time for this!"

"Wait a second." I looked at the smooth protrusion coming out of the ground. It was perfectly round and oval. Its coloring was dark, like the night sky, with white, luminescent speckles dotted around. "Guys, I think I found a Moon Stone!" I exclaimed excitedly.

"That's great. Now, pick it up, and let's get going! We don't know how much longer Nidoran has."

I quickly plucked the Moon Stone out of the ground and threw it in my backpack as we started running again. Bursting into the outside world was like breathing air for the first time. My eyes stung from the sudden change of dark to light, but I was grateful. Fresh air flowed through my nostrils for the first time, clearing the dust out of my lungs. The lush greenery lining the road and the cool blue ponds were a nice change in scenery, too.

"There it is!" Nico called out as the silhouettes of several buildings of Cerulean City appeared in the distance. "Just a little bit more," he whispered to the Nidoran. "Good job, Charmander. You were really brave back there in the cave. You deserve a rest." With one hand, he reached for Charmander's Pokeball. Charmander returned to his ball very gratefully.

"Don't worry, Nidoran," Taylor encouraged. "You'll be just fine with us."

"That we can guarantee," I added.

* * *

**One more update to finish off the week! They're finally out of Mt. Moon, with one more added to the party. So what happened to the Nidoran? To be honest, I don't even know yet, but I can assure it'll be... something. Any way, the poll is still up and my profile, and it only has two votes so far, so PLEASE vote to decide where the story will go next. And as always, PLEASe review! They make me very happy! :D Happy Zombie Jesus Day, everyone!**


	25. Cerulean City

The three of us sat in the Pokemon Center's lobby anxiously. My leg was shaking so much that I'm sure I was vibrating the entire sofa, but Taylor and Nico didn't seem to care. The sign of a syringe above the operating room door was still illuminated brightly. From what I saw, I was sure that the Nidoran's injuries weren't that serious―but then again, I'm no doctor. Hell, I was sure that Gyarados was part Dragon-type till last year.

Nico seemed the most distraught, his emotionless expression staring predatorily at the sign. Its red and white colors reflected brightly in the whites of his eyes, at first appearing to be blood vessels ready to burst with anticipation. I gave him a simple smile and put my arm around his shoulders.

"You can relax, man. Nurse Joy knows what she's doing. I'm sure Nidoran will be all right."

"Thanks," he replied. He clasped his hands together tightly. "But what if something really bad had happened to her? The Nidoran, I mean. What if she has a broken rib, or a punctured lung, or―." His speech was stopped abruptly by a resounding ping. The sign faded and the doors opened, revealing Nurse Joy wheeling in an operating table with a few Chanseys helping.

Nico sprang up before I could blink. He rushed over to the table with Taylor and I following. Nidoran was lying down on the table, peacefully asleep, with steady, even breaths. Her injured leg bandaged tightly, as were her chest and small tail. Nico reached over to stroke her, but Nurse Joy quickly stopped him.

"Oh no," she said in a harsh whisper. "She shouldn't be bothered at all. She's very delicate right now and needs plenty of rest."

"What happened?" I asked in the same whisper, so as not to wake the snoozing Poison-type.

"Well," Joy began, indicating the parts of Nidoran's body as she mentioned them, "Her leg was obviously damaged pretty badly. It was fractured extensively, and not very cleanly. That pain alone must've been unbearable. Other than that, lots of cuts, lots of bruises. Her tail was tweaked a bit, and large lacerations covered her chest. I'd say she's lucky you guys came along so fast. Had you not, she would have been _much_ worse off."

"What do you think happened to her?" Taylor asked.

"I can't be sure," she replied. "Probably some kind of Pokemon attack. Though I can't think of anything in Mt. Moon that would do this much harm to a Nidoran, especially one this healthy." She paused and furrowed her brow in thought. "How did you say you found her, again?"

"There was a group of Geodude surrounding her," Nico said, "like a wall, protecting her. They wouldn't even let us get near to her."

"Well, Nico the Pokemon whisperer got through," I added laughingly.

Nico blushed and continued his story. "She looked like she had been there for a while and was in really bad shape. If the Geodude weren't there to protect her, she definitely would have…" Nico couldn't bring himself to say the words.

Joy tapped her chin in thought. "That's so bizarre. Not only are Nidoran not found in Mt. Moon, but they don't typically have relationships with Geodude of that magnitude, if it all."

"Maybe they were just nice Pokemon?" Taylor suggested.

Joy laughed. "Yes, that also could be true, but it's still an odd situation. Why don't you three enjoy yourselves around the city while Nidoran recuperates? I'm assuming you're wanting to challenge Misty?"

"As a matter of fact, we are!" I answered proudly.

"Wonderful!" She clapped her hands together. "Hopefully you'll have a chance to challenge her before the Gym closes."

"When will that be?" I asked, looking outside to see the sun growing heavy in the sky and drifting down to the horizon.

Nurse Joy glanced at her watch. "I'd say another hour or so. If you really want to challenge her today, you'd better get a move on, but I would wait till tomorrow."

I smirked. "I'm known to take risks," I said with a wink. "Do you guys want to come?" I asked Taylor and Nico.

Taylor shrugged. "I don't have anything better to do." We both turned to Nico.

"Um, I think I'll stay here with Nidoran. I don't feel right about leaving her here alone. But I'll be sure to come over and catch your battle as soon as I can."

"Suit yourself," I said with mild disappointment. "Catch you later, then." Taylor and I exited the Pokemon Center and began walking through the crowded main streets of Cerulean as we headed for the prominent building that we knew to be the Cerulean Gym.

"So now that we're finally alone," Taylor began with a sinister tone, "what happened between you and Nico last night?"

That question caught me off guard. My heart skipped a beat and my mouth became dry. I didn't think we were that loud, but I guess tents are thin. "W―What do you mean?"

Taylor rolled her eyes. "You don't have to play stupid, Terran. I already know how stupid you are, and this is something you're actually quite savvy in."

I didn't respond to the insult. I took in a deep breath and sighed. "What all did you hear?"

"I heard enough, and so could everybody else within a mile radius."

I winced. "Were we really that loud?" As a worried afterthought, I asked, "Did Michelle and Brooke hear anything?"

"No, they were both asleep. And yeah, you were. I have to say it was kind of bizarre hearing Nico's angry voice. It was strangely hot." Now it was my turn to eye roll. "Anyway, what are you guys now? Friends? Boyfriends? Friends with benefits?"

"Jeez, Taylor!" I exasperated, a little louder than I should have. "Who do you think I am?"

"I don't know, Terr," she said haughtily, crossing her arms. "I really don't know. I didn't know my own brother had a thing for other guys till a few days ago. What else haven't you told me? Are you secretly a werewolf? A vampire, maybe?"

She was overreacting, but she did have a point. Though, to be fair, I didn't really know I had a 'thing' for guys much longer than she did. "I'm sorry, Taylor, for not telling you sooner. But, this whole thing is new to me. I don't know what to do―or how to do it."

"Well, you can start by telling me what you two were yelling about, then how it ended with your tongues down each other's throats."

"Arceus, Taylor…" I grumbled. "Basically, we just decided to take things slow. That's it."

"And _then_ you shoved your tongues down each other's throats."

Before I could retort, I saw we had arrived at the Gym. A wide concrete square was placed in front of the building, largely desolate, save a few Trainers doing some last-minute training for their Gym battle or bragging about their recently earned badges by crushing beginning Trainers. A long line was present in the Gym lobby, reaching outside the doors.

"Looks like I'm not gonna see Misty today," I said.

"That could be for the better," Taylor said. "Honestly, the only reason I came along was to see you get your butt handed to you. You haven't trained hardly at all since Pewter City. I still don't know why you would even consider challenging a Gym Leader like this."

"Tell me how you really feel, Tay."

"I just did." She glanced around the square. "Just find somebody to battle, and maybe you'll be able to eke out a win by the skin of your teeth." She had a point. A couple battles wouldn't hurt. I didn't even have to go out of my way to look for an opponent. When you're standing outside a Gym with a bunch of battle-hungry Trainers, it's difficult not to find a battle.

"Excuse me, you wouldn't happen to be a Trainer, would you?" a voice from behind us asked. We turned and saw the slender, very cute girl before us. She had bright green eyes, and choppy shoulder length brown hair. She seemed fairly anxious, either itching for a battle, or just feeling uncomfortable around strangers. Probably the latter.

"I would be, yes," I responded happily. "I was actually looking for a battle. Would you mind?"

"No, not at all!" she replied.

"Great!" We moved towards the center of the square where there was enough open area to have a battle. Other Trainers began to crowd around us, relieved to take a break from their own battles to watch someone else's. "I'm Terran, by the way," I quickly introduced.

"My name's Yuika Easton, but everyone calls me Yules," she explained.

"Well, great to meet you, Yules."

"You too."

"How does a three-on-three sound?" I suggested as I groped for the Pokeballs on my belt.

"That sounds perfect. You can choose first."

"Thanks." I thought for only a brief moment before picking my first Pokemon. "Let's get this started, Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur emerged from his ball like he had been in there his entire life.

As he came out, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a single man leaning against the Gym wall in the shadows. His face was obscured by a large hat and collar of a trench coat that fell to the ground. His beady eyes peeked above large sunglasses, scanning the entire group of Trainers critically, especially Yules and I, probably because we were in a battle. I quickly averted my gaze and tried to put him out of my mind. I didn't need to worry myself about anything else that was probably unnecessary. Though, that guy sure was creepy…

"All right, Blaziken, come on out!" My eyes grew wide as the high leveled Pokemon came forth, fiery determination emanating from every cell. Bulbasaur visibly shook. "Blaziken, use Fire Punch!" Yules commanded. The Blaziken charged straight forward, not wasting any time, its arm extended and glowing brightly as it charged with flames.

"Bulbasaur, jump out of the way, hurry!" I ordered on instinct. Bulbasaur jumped out of the way, just avoiding the powerful and super effective attack. Blaziken screeched to a halting stop just before running into the crowd. "Use Stun Spore, Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur launched the paralyzing spores into the air, floating around Blaziken. Blaziken's muscles tensed up and his motion was severely reduced. He could still move, but no faster than a Slowpoke.

"Blaziken, try to use Aerial Ace!" Yules commanded another super effective move. Blaziken thrust forward to the best of his ability, but couldn't get far enough off the ground to execute the attack.

I finally took my opening. "Bulbasaur, use Poison Powder! Then follow with Razor Leaf!" A cloud of purple dust was sprayed over Blaziken's limp form. Blaziken flinched as he took steady damage from the poison now coursing through his body. Bulbasaur shot wave after wave of razor sharp foliage at the Fire- and Fighting-type. Though the Grass-type attack did little damage, combined with the Poison Powder, significant pieces of Blaziken's health were being depleted.

Yules continued shouted commands, hoping Blaziken would gain enough strength to execute them. "Fire Punch! Come on, Blaziken, you can do this! Try Sky Uppercut! Double Kick!"

I smiled as I realized that this first round would belong to me. Then it all came crashing down. Blaziken's wincing eyes suddenly flashed open. He rose to his feet, shocking Bulbasaur into ceasing the Razor Leaf attacks. With a final charge forward, a clenched fist alight with flames slammed into Bulbasaur, knocking him out in an instant.

Yules cheered gleefully. "Good job, Blaziken! I knew you had it in you!"

"Blaze…" it mumbled with a small smile, clearly weakened and close to fainting, but not giving up.

I bit my lower lip as I returned Bulbasaur. This would be a tough battle, just what I needed.

* * *

**Hey, remember me? Yeah, I'm that guy that updates his stories sometimes! Sorry this took so long, but I'm in the last few weeks of school, so everything is so crazy between final projects, exams, and all of the other events that go along with it. I'm sorry this chapter is a little lackluster, but I'll hopefully a lot more high-quality writing up when summer starts and I have time. Also, special thanks to Ash-Aijo, who provided me with the character of Yules. Sorry I couldn't really do her justice in this short time, but I promise she'll come into her own in the near future. :) Speaking of the near future, I'll warn you now, a HUGE amount of plot is about to be thrust upon you in the next couple chapters, including, but not limited to: a new evil team, a sinister plot by wild Pokemon, the discovery of something history changing, and the story behind Julie (remember her from a long time ago?). Trust me, it'll be a big pill to swallow in such a short time. In other news, the poll on my profile is in a tie right now, so make sure you all vote to decide which direction the story will take after this story line! Till then, I hope you leave some reviews, and you continue reading! :D**


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